Category: Capital Region

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

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

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

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

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

In 2021, Mike Rempel departed the band he founded, and Tim Palmieri (Kung Fu, The Breakfast) joined Lotus, who forge ahead with Mike Greenfield, Luke Miller, Jesse Miller and Chuck Morris on this national tour.
<a href="https://lotusvibes.bandcamp.com/album/bloom-recede-2">Bloom & Recede by Lotus</a>
LOTUS 2023 TOUR DATES:

Nov 25 & 26 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY

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

Jan 21 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA

Jan 25 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT

Jan 26 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA

Jan 27 – Empire Live – Albany, NY

Jan 28 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY

Jan 29 – Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH

Feb 2 – The Majestic – Detroit, MI

Feb 3 – KEMBA Live! – Columbus, OH

Feb 4 – MegaCorp Pavilion – Newport, KY

Feb 5 – Mercury Ballroom – Louisville, KY

Feb 7 – Goshen Theater – Goshen, IN

Feb 8 – The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN

Feb 9 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI

Feb 10 – Park West – Chicago, IL

Feb 11 – Myth Live – Minneapolis, MN

Feb 14 – The Majestic – Madison, WI

Feb 15 – Old Rock House – St Louis, MO

Feb 16 – Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN

Feb 17 – Salvage Station – Asheville, NC

Feb 19 – Music Farm – Charleston, SC

Feb 22 – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC

Feb 23 – The National – Richmond, VA

Feb 24 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC

Feb 25 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA

Apr 14 – Emo’s – Austin, TX

Apr 15 – Warehouse Live – Houston, TX

Apr 16 – Echo – Dallas, TX

Apr 19 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ

Apr 20 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA

Apr 21 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA

Apr 22 – Crown Room – Crystal Bay, NV

Apr 23 – Goldfield Trading Post – Sacramento, CA

Apr 27 – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR

Apr 28 – Midtown Ballroom – Bend, OR

Apr 29 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR

Apr 30 – Nectar Lounge – Seattle, W

November 23, 2022
The Seapods to Celebrate 2-11 at Lark Hall

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

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

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

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

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

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

November 21, 2022
This Week’s EQXposure Features No More Death Stars

Each Sunday evening from 7-9 p.m. 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 No More Death Stars.

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.

This week the new album .jpg by No More Death Stars will be played on EQXposure. The group comes out of Albany and is the creative brainchild of Kevin Cardinale, and a bunch of collaborators. They self-identify as a pop-punk collective, being compared to indie-punk contemporaries such as Jeff Rosenstock and AJJ.

The group reemerged this year to create their new album, which takes influence from Radiohead and Brian Wilson. It incorporates orchestral instrumentation composed by Cardinale and performed by newcomers Anthime Miller, Ben Burt, and Sam Mark.

The songs off the new album “Halloween 2008,” “Have you ever wondered if Osama Bin Laden has ever fallen in love?” and “Emotional Lint Roller” will be played on EQXposure.

November 19, 2022
UAlbany Music Program to Host Trio of Holiday Concerts

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

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

Photo credit: Paul Miller

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

Photo credit: Paul Miller

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

Photo credit: Gary Gold

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

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

November 17, 2022
Disco Biscuits Winter Tour Includes Buffalo and Albany Stops, plus 3 Nights at The Cap

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

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

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

Disco Biscuits Winter Tour 2023

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

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

November 17, 2022
In Focus: State Champs at Brooklyn Steel

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

State Champs, Brooklyn Steel, 11/13/22. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

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

State Champs, Brooklyn Steel, 11/13/22. Photo by Joseph Buscarello

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

November 16, 2022
The Gibson Brothers Announce New Album and North Country Christmas Performances

The Gibson Brothers, hailing from Plattsburgh and calling Nashville home, will perform two North Country Christmas concerts in mid-December, one in Schenectady at Proctors, and another in Ellenburg Depot. The pair will release a new album on January 27th, 2023, Darkest Hour, produced by Jerry Douglas and includes guest musicians Justin Moses, Guthrie Trapp, and Alison Krauss.

Darkest Hour spans from trad-grass to country-soul and back again, utilizing classically bluegrass instruments as well as electric guitars and drums to craft a sound fit for the songs it surrounds. Kicking off with a flurry of traditional bluegrass excellence, The Gibson Brothers’ new single “Dust” is more than a just statement of musicianship, it’s the whole package, with world-class picking, clear and refined vocals, and rock-solid songwriting. An ode to leaning into down-and-out—“Left in the dust” by ex-lover—“Dust” puts a clever, positive spin on being left behind. “Me and dust, we do fine.”

Every song written feels like a little victory to its writer. Sure, some are better than others, and from time to time—if you’re lucky—you write something special. But every one counts. They all add up to something, whether they are keepers or not, and the writer is in constant pursuit of topping what he or she has done before. The fact that our longtime musical hero Jerry Douglas likes what we do and encouraged us to send him all originals is a real feather in our caps. Making this record of songs Jerry deemed as keepers with him is a dream come true. The songs reflect where we came from, where we are, and where we go from here.
Eric Gibson

The songs recorded in the first recording period featured Mike Barber (bass), Justin Moses (mandolin), Eamon McGloughlin (fiddle), and of course, Jerry Douglas (dobro), adding in John Gardner (drums), Guthrie Trapp (electric guitar), Todd Parks (bass), and Alison Krauss (vocals) for the final tracks, Darkest Hour showcases just how easily Eric and Leigh move from what Dan Auerbach dubbed “country soul” (“I Go Driving”) to high octane bluegrass (“What a Difference A Day Makes” and “Dust”) with Douglas always keeping the spotlight on the songs themselves.

Fans can purchase or stream “Dust” today at and pre-order or pre-save Darkest Hour ahead of its January release right here.

The Gibson Brothers will close out 2022 with two shows in New York. Their annual Gibson Brothers North Country Christmas show will be held at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady on Friday, December 16 (ticket link) and Ellenburg Depot at the NACS High School Auditorium on December 17th (ticket link).

November 16, 2022
Shenanigans with Bella’s Bartok at the Hollow in Albany

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

The Dust Bowl Faeries

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

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

Bella’s Bartok

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

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

Shenanigans

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

November 15, 2022
moe. announces Winter 2023 Dates, Shows at The Paramount, Palace Theatre

On the heels of the announcement that guitarist Chuck Garvey will be sitting-in as a “special guest” for their NYE performance, moe. has announced a short run of tour dates for Winter 2023, which will include select performances up and down the east coast.

Beginning with three nights in NY, NJ, and DC in late January, the tour will resume with a 2-night run at the State Theatre in Portland, ME over President’s Day weekend, and an additional 2-night run at the Palace Theatre in Albany on February 24-25, coinciding with “moe.day” in Albany on 2/24. The band has yet to announce plans for Chuck to return to the band on a full-time basis following his sit-in on NYE.

moe. – Chuck Garvey (guitar, vocals), Rob Derhak (bass, vocals), Al Schnier (guitar, vocals), Jim Loughlin (percussion, vibes), Vinnie Amico (drums)

The band made its long-awaited return to Colorado this month, where they played their first three-night run in nearly a year at the Fox Theater in Boulder. On the final night of the run, the band announced that Garvey, who suffered a stroke last November, would sit-in as a “special guest” for a portion of the band’s NYE performance at the Fillmore Philadelphia for the first time in over a year. The announcement came exactly one year to the day since Garvey suffered his stroke, and his return appearance is also especially significant, since the Fillmore Philadelphia was the last venue he performed at on Halloween 2022.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of my worst day ever. I scared my wife, my family, my friends, and many of you who heard of my stroke. Thank you for your well-wishes and your donations, without which my recovery would not have happened. This year has been a really long, difficult one for me, but a rewarding one, in that I learned what a person needs to do to achieve goals. Some are basic, everyday things like speech, and some are more about universal things that I noticed about family, friends, and community that keep us all afloat. So, thank you for your help and your community. I can’t wait to see all of you where the water falls, and the music calls. I will be joining my brothers on stage in Philly, the city of brotherly love.
Chuck Garvey’s note to fans

The band is gearing up for the holidays with a selection of limited-edition merch, currently on-sale via the moe. online store. Offerings include “ugly” t-shirt and crewnecks sold alongside a moe. holiday ornament. For more information, click here.

A special artist pre-sale will begin Wednesday, November 16th at 10am local time – for details click here. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, November 18th at 10am local time. For ticketing and show info, please visit moe.org/tour.

moe 2023 Winter Tour Dates

Thursday, January 19 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY
Friday, January 20th – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C.
Saturday, January 21st – Wellmont Theater – Montclair, NJ
Friday, February 17th – State Theatre – Portland, ME
Saturday, February 18th – State Theatre – Portland, ME
Friday, February 24th – Palace Theater – Albany, NY
Saturday, February 25th – Palace Theater – Albany, NY
Thursday, March 9^th – Brooklyn Bowl – Nashville, TN
Friday, March 10^th – Mars Music Hall – Huntsville, AL
Saturday, March 11^th – Minglewood Hall – Memphis, TN
Sunday, March 12^th – Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL
Wednesday, March 15^th – Music Hall – Charleston, SC
Thursday, March 16^th – The Plaza Live – Orlando, FL
Friday, March 17^th – Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Saturday, March 18^th – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL
Sunday, March 19^th – PV Concert Hall – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Tuesday, March 21^st – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC
Wednesday, March 22^nd – Jefferson Theatre – Charlottesville, VA
Thursday, March 23^rd – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
Friday, March 24^th – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
Saturday, March 25^th – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA

November 15, 2022
TABoose Tour Arrives in Glens Falls at Cool Insuring Arena

Reaching the halfway point of their collaborative tour, TABoose took over the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls on Sunday, November 13, formerly the Civic Center and site of the legendary 1994 Phish Halloween show.

Leaning away from the Beatles cover that was highly speculated, both bands threw down hot 90-minute sets as their confidence both with each other and as individual musicians seems to grow with every concert.

photo by Derek Java

Goose opened up the night with “So Ready”, the Shenanigans Nite Club cut letting loose with standout guitar solos from Rick and Peter as Spuds pushed the tempo to breakneck speed. “California Magic” came next, breaking its longest gap since debuting in March.

“Thatch” a new song that Rick remarked was “only two days old”, continued the quintet’s set. Featuring a hard-charging groove and crunchy clav, lots of potential was immediately shown and I eagerly await future performances of the song as it grows into Goose’s ever-expanding catalogue.

A rare mid-set cover of The Band’s “Don’t Do It” whipped the crowd into a frenzy as Peter and then Rick took great solos.

Note the vintage jacket Peter is wearing – Glens Falls Red Birds, a minor league baseball team from mid-1990s. photo by Derek Java

The improvisational centerpiece of the show came in the ensuing “Madhuvan”, giving us the dose of darkness and extended jamming we had been hungering for since Portland. Featuring an aggressive synth tone from Peter on Nord Lead rather than the Prophet, dissonance reigned as the first song to cross the 20-minute mark since Portland displayed Goose’s improvisational capabilities.

After the always-fiery end to “Madhuvan”, the quintet brought Trey up on stage to contribute to “Red Bird”. Perfectly singing one verse of Peter’s emotional song written about his mother, Trey proceeded to lead the jam away from the fiery guitar duels we have seen in the past few shows and into more of a rhythm-based motif for a while before exploding back into a great peak. “Hot Tea”, also featuring Trey, closed out the set with incredible guitar interplay once again.

TAB’s set opened up with a laid-back “Drifting” ahead of “Set Your Soul Free”, “Ocelot”, and “Magilla” – all showcasing TAB’s growing confidence on stage as this tour progresses. Pure energy kicked off “A Wave of Hope”, one of the most prominent tracks from 2020’s Lonely Trip that has become a live staple of the Phish catalogue and has led to some of the best jams this year. While last night’s version didn’t hit 20 minutes or go outside the main song structure, Trey instigated the “second jam” and drove to many blistering peaks before concluding.

Trey then took a moment to talk about his connection to the city of Glens Falls and his time spent in nearby Saratoga Springs during his time in drug court after his arrest in late 2006 before a beautiful rendition of “Shade”.

Last night’s MVP took centre stage on the next song, an absolutely BLISTERING “Burlap Sack and Pumps” – saxophonist James Casey ripped up the baritone sax for an amazing solo that saw him going back and forth with Trey as the tension built.

“Spin” offered a similar placement and vibe to “About to Run” at Mohegan – a late-set opportunity for Trey to rip over a foundational groove. The song’s outro jam was its usual slinky self, bassist Dezron Douglas seeming to get lost in the vibe as they dug deeper and deeper into the amazing song.

photo by Derek Java

The pounding “Last Tube” gave way to “hey stranger”, the latter getting its second play of the tour – lots of potential in this song that I hope makes its way to Phish in the future!

“Valentine” brought the TAB portion of the set to a close, and Rick and Peter were welcomed on stage for an absolutely BLISTERING “Mr. Completely”. Taking some time at first to have a musical conversation, Rick and Trey harmonized as they have been doing so well on this tour before ceding a solo to the keyboardists. Egged on by Ray’s organ blasts, Peter ripped up an awesome piano solo before the jam transitioned into TAB’s usual solo-modulation sections. Once the horns had taken a spin with the tune for a little while, Trey cued everyone to drop out as he and Rick faced each other with huge smiles on their faces and continued to shred – it is impossible to tell at this point in the tour which guitarist is having more fun playing with the other!

A set-closing “Rise/Come Together” and an encore of “Possum” brought the incredible night in Glens Falls to a close on an extremely high note.

Four shows in, four shows left. TABoose tour has already exceeded expectations thus far and I cannot wait to see the collaborations that are on the horizon!!

TABoose tour continues on Tuesday in Carnot-Moon, PA. Webcasts are available via Nugs.net and LivePhish.

Tune in to Day After Show live with Always Almost There, HFPod, and The Great Beyond the day after every show at 3pm ET as we recap the tour in real time!

Photos by Derek Java for NYS Music.

November 15, 2022