Syracuse natives Sophistafunk have announced a show at the Stanley Theatre on Feb. 18, 2023, starting at 7:30 p.m.
Sophistafunk is comprised of Adam Gold (keyboardist), Jack Brown (frontman), Tommy Weeks (saxophonist), and Emmanuel Washington (drummer and vocalist). After nearly ten years on the road, the group continues to connect with many audiences, from jazz fans to reggae. Their live shows are packed with passion with cutting-edge lyrics and heavy beats.
Recently, they became the house band for the new game show hosted by Guy Fieri, Guy’s Ultimate Game Night, which will air on the Food Network on the Discovery+ streaming platform. They met Fieri in 2013 while performing on his show Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives at the restaurant/music venue Funk ‘n Waffles, which Gold owns.
Sophistafunk will be bringing their high energy to the stage at the Stanley Theatre, an almost 3,000-capacity venue designed by famous architect Thomas Lamb in 1928. It remains one of the three Lamb theatres still in operation, including the Proctors Theatre and The Landmark Theatre. The show is on Feb. 18 and tickets are $30.50 in advance or $40.50 the day of the show. For more information about the band and to purchase tickets, go here.
Greensky Bluegrass have announced their Winter Tour 2023, featuring 16 dates with a kickoff on January 12 in Buffalo, followed by stops in Port Chester and Utica. The Michigan jamgrass band will make their debut performances at the Stanley Theater in Utica, as well as the historic Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ.
They’ll bring along with them support acts including Mikaela Davis, Neighbor, Mihali, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Railroad Earth and Holly Bowling.
Greensky Bluegrass are widely known for their thoughtful lyricism, edgy and genre-expansive sound, dazzling live performances and relentless touring schedule. Featuring Anders Beck [dobro], Michael Arlen Bont [banjo], Dave Bruzza [guitar], Mike Devol [upright bass], and Paul Hoffman [Mandolin], the five are connected through a deep bond, just as they are seasoned road warriors, they’re a band of brothers who have seen each other through decades of ups and downs, personal and collective highlights, and the moments when life turns it all upside down.
For the past century, bluegrass music has traditionally relayed real tales of American life, struggle, tragedy, and triumph. It gives a voice to the quiet, yet colorful stories woven into the fabric of the country itself. Greensky Bluegrass live these stories through their records and performances.
Greensky is and always has been very unique in our world. We put our love, energy, and focus into what we appreciate about our music. We come together as a band in a way that’s organic. We take a lot of pride in how we grow and challenge each other too. We’re maturing together. I think we get more Greensky all of the time.
Recently announced by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, Utica Music Series (Monday Nite in Utica) has been awarded a multi-year Levitt AMP Grant Award of $90K. Thus, in matching funds to present a free outdoor music series in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Since 2016, the Levitt AMP Utica Music Series has activated Kopernik Park in Oneida Square. By transforming it into a welcoming, inclusive destination and a venue where diversity is abounded from the stage to audience.
The Levitt AMP Grant Awards is an exciting, multi-year matching grant opportunity bringing the joy of free, live music to towns and cities with a population of up to 250,000 people. The Levitt Foundation has expanded the program from an annual matching grant of $25K, into a three-year matching grant of $30K per year for a total grant award of $90K.
“Emerging from the pandemic, we have all witnessed the importance of community and connection on our well-being, and free, live music in public spaces is a powerful way to bring people together of all ages and backgrounds. Expanding the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards into a multi-year, $90K grant and inviting additional towns and cities into the program was inspired in part by the positive impact Utica Monday Nite is having on the local community,” says Sharon Yazowski, Executive Director of the Levitt Foundation.
“We look forward to the continued impact of the Levitt AMP Utica Music Series, which has transformed Kopernik Park into a community destination beyond the free concerts, creating a joyful and welcoming space for the entire community, from new to lifelong residents alike.”
Sharon Yazowski, Executive Director of the Levitt Foundation
From Main Street communities to rural towns in the heart of Appalachia to historic state capitals, the 18 returning Levitt AMP grant recipients hail from across the country including rural towns with populations of less than 10,000 like Whitesburg, Ky.; Galva, Ill.; Earlham, Iowa; Shenandoah Junction, W.Va.; Soldotna, Alaska; St. Johnsbury, Vt.; and Middlesboro, Ky.*; to mid-sized cities like Berea, Ky.; Carson City, Nev.; Gallup, N.M.; Ocala, Fla.; Sheboygan, Wis.*; Stevens Point, Wis.; Utica, N.Y.; and Woonsocket, R.I.; to larger cities spanning the country including Fort Smith, Ark.; Springfield, Ill.; and Trenton, N.J.*
Berea, Kentucky (population: 15,773)
Carson City, Nevada (population: 55,244)
Earlham, Iowa (population: 1,382)
Fort Smith, Arkansas (population: 87,788)
Gallup, New Mexico (population: 21,637)
Galva, Illinois (population: 2,539)
Middlesboro, Kentucky (population: 9,242)*
Ocala, Florida (population: 60,021)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin (population: 48,153)*
Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia (population: 1,382)
New-age music group Mannheim Steamroller will return to the Stanley Theatre in Utica for a great holiday tradition in December.
The group, founded by Chip Davis, will celebrate more than 35 years of its annual Christmas concert tour. Audiences can expect Mannheim Steamroller to play their popular renditions of classic hits to ring in the holiday season. The show at the Stanley Theatre will begin at 7 p.m. on December 7.
With multimedia effects, live music, and joyous songs, the concert is sure to put all listeners in the perfect mood to lead up to the holiday season. The Grammy award-winning group is a favorite holiday tradition for many and released its first Christmas album in 1984.
I remember when I came out with my first Christmas album in 1984 followed by our first tour. Back then, many in the music industry said focusing on Christmas just wouldn’t work. Now, over 35 years later, we are still going strong. I want to thank our fans for making us part of their holiday tradition, especially after the hardships of the last few years. Today we often see multi-generational families join us during the holidays each year.
-Chip Davis, founder and creator of Mannheim Steamroller
Mannheim Steamroller’s holiday tour begins on November 15 and ends on December 30. The group will also stop in Syracuse and Poughkeepsie on December 8 and 14, respectively. Tickets for the upcoming holiday show at the Stanley Theatre are available now via Ticketmaster.
There are two things you can find a great deal of in Upstate New York – music venues in nearly every town, and Stewart’s Shops. There are more than 345 Stewart’s in New York and Vermont, and if you’ve been to a show or gone camping Upstate, you’ve probably stopped at a Stewart’s for provisions. With newly remodeled shops, Stewart’s is a staple for locals and visitors alike.
One of Stewart’s best sellers is their ice cream. Made from milk from New York farms, the variety of flavors goes well beyond the basic Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry. The variety of music venues Upstate is equally varied, and gives music lovers an opportunity to see their favorite bands and new artists in unique settings.
We’ve partnered with Stewart’s Shops to look at their ice cream flavors and compared them to Upstate music venues. Below you’ll find 15 flavors paired with their appropriate venue, a small sampling of the more than 30 flavors Stewart’s Shops offer. Get the scoop before you get a scoop heading to your next show!
Brownie Cookie Sundae // Ulster Performing Arts Center, Kingston
This venue and flavor have each got it all. UPAC features one of the widest arrays of musical selections in the state. From Meatloaf to Willie Nelson, the HV Philharmonic to plays and musicals, UPAC has it all. Likewise, Brownie Cookie Sundae comes loaded with vanilla ice cream, chewy brownie bites, soft cookie dough pieces and a rich fudge swirl. Available in a cone or half-gallon.
Star Gazer // Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), Saratoga Springs
Where can you see the most stars? Head north on I-87 and get off at exit 13 for Saratoga Performing Arts Center, where you’ll see the biggest artists and national touring bands at SPAC each summer! Originally the home of the NYC Ballet, SPAC has been bringing concerts to the edge of the Adirondacks since the 1960s, making this the perfect venue for seeing stars. Stargazer has Malt flavored ice cream with a rich caramel swirl and pieces of Milky Way candy bars mixed in. Available in a half-gallon.
Chocolate Sea Turtle // Snug’s Harbor, New Paltz
Turtles are found throughout the state, but they’ll always need a snug harbor somewhere to rest their shell. Snug Harbor provides a comfortable space for bands to play in the college town of New Paltz, with a variety of music and cold beer on tap. Stewart’s Chocolate Sea Turtle features chocolate ice cream with a sea salt caramel swirl and chocolate fudge pecans. Available in a cone for a limited time.
Fireworks // Empire State Plaza, Albany
One of the best spots for fireworks in Upstate New York is the Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany. Capable of hosting more than 10,000 people and room for even more nearby, the Fireworks every 4th of July and for select events are a must see event, as well as the bands that perform on the plaza during the summer months. Pop Rocks encased in vanilla ice cream with a tart cherry swirl helps this flavor live up to its name! Available in a cone.
Blueberry Pie in the Sky // Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel
Summer and blueberry pie are synonymous. The summer of love lives on through Bethel Woods. Grab a cone of Blueberry in the Sky, with blueberry ice cream with shortbread and a Maine blueberry swirl, on the way to your next show and imagine the roads filled with cars headed to Yasgur’s Farm. Available in a pint.
Happy Camper // Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Oak Hill
When the music on the stage is done for the day, head to your campsite anywhere at Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival’s campgrounds for pickin’ parties, where you can hear classic bluegrass songs and singalongs, just like at camp enjoy s’mores! With graham cracker flavored ice cream with a graham cracker pieces, a marshmallow swirl and peanut butter pieces, enjoy a cone of Stewart’s Happy Camper while friends old and new sit around and pluck away. Available in a cone.
Campfire S’Moreo // Levon Helm’s Barn, Woodstock
Located just a few miles from Mount Marion near Saugerties, Levon Helm’s Barn is the perfect pairing for this summer time treat. Living in Woodstock at Big Pink with The Band and backing Bob Dylan for years, Levon Helm made a second home in Woodstock, establishing Midnight Rambles that continue to be a thing of legend. Outside Levon’s Barn, you’ll find small campfires before and after shows – year round – making the Campfire S’Moreo a perfect pairing to this classic venue. Available in a cone for a limited time.
Mint Cookie Crumble // The Bardavon, Poughkeepsie
Two classics, presented in a new way. The Bardavon is the oldest continually operating music venue in New York State, offering various performing arts, cinema, theater, vaudeville, and performers ranging from David Byrne to Chick Corea, Dr. John to Gladys Knight, and Joan Baez to Natalie Merchant. Bardavon is also the home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, making the classic venue fresh for a new generation of music lovers. Mint Cookie Crumble is a spin on mint chocolate chip, but with a chocolate cookie crumble fudge swirl mixed in smooth cool mint ice cream. A classic, presented in a fresh new way. Available in a cone, pint or half-gallon, and now available in a non-dairy pint!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup // The Egg, Albany
One of Stewart’s tastiest ice creams has a swirl of peanut butter inside, ready to surprise you with each bite. Inside The Egg in Albany, you’ll find not one but two music venues – The Hart Theatre and The Swyer Theatre, both offering an array of musical offerings, not to mention surprisingly incredible acoustics! Available in a cone, pint or half-gallon.
Chocolate Caramel Tornado// The Falcon, Marlboro
Combining chocolate and sea salt caramel ice creams with chocolate covered honeycomb pieces and a chocolate/caramel swirl makes for unique yet delicious treat. Similarly unique and offering delicious music is The Falcon, where you can find jazz in an intimate and rustic Hudson Valley setting. Available in a cone for a VERY limited time.
Crumbs along the Mohawk // Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes
Located 500 feet from the Mohawk River, Cohoes Music Hall, opened in 1874, has been home for live music performances, high school musicals and plays, theater performances and much more. With a name synonymous with music, Cohoes is a great small town to stop in for an evening. The perfect ice cream to go with such a classic venue is Crumbs Along the Mohawk, inspired by the 1939 film “Drums Along the Mohawk,” with graham cracker flavored ice cream holding together graham cracker pieces with a caramel swirl. Available in a pint or half-gallon.
Brew Ha Ha // Saranac Brewery, Utica; Ommegang Brewery, Cooperstown
Where in New York can you get brewery fresh beer and live music? Two places come to mind – Saranac Brewery in Utica, and Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown. With their own wide selections of beers and other beverages, these breweries offer two things that New York is known for – great beer and great music – Brew Ha Ha takes Stewart’s richer roast coffee ice cream with espresso bean flavored chocolate flakes, a nice combination as well! Available in a cone or half-gallon.
Adirondack Bear Paw // The Waterhole, Saranac Lake
The northernmost venue on our list is The Waterhole, home to music year round, with Party on the Patio on Thursdays each summer, Winter Carnival music performances in February, and the heart of this Adirondack town. Vanilla ice cream mixed with sweet praline cashews and caramel swirls make a rich combination in this tasty northern delight. Available in a half-gallon.
The classic creamsicle flavor is a throwback to summers spent in Saratoga Springs, with a twist. A classic Saratoga venue, Caffe Lena, has been a fixture in the Spa City since the 1960s, and new renovations in the building put a twist on the original! Available in a half-gallon at your local Stewart’s Shops!
Colombian Coffee // Club Helsinki, Hudson
Like coffee, Club Helsinki has something for everyone, serving as a music venue, bar and restaurant. Open mic nights, both virtual and in person, welcome all people and talents. The many flavors of coffee can be found in this Columbia County venue that welcomes a variety of artists to the east shore of the Hudson River. Available in a cone or half-gallon.
The Disco Biscuits will make a few stops in the Northeast this September, including a pair of shows at Saranac Brewery in Utica. The shows will now take place a week later than originally planned, on Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1. The shows mark the Disco Biscuits first ever time performing in the Empire State’s ‘Sin City.’
Additional shows earlier that month include a show at Grand Opera House in Wilmington, DE on September 8, and two shows at South Side Stage at XL Live in Harrisburg, PA on September 9 and 10.
A fanclub presale for these shows is now open through Wednesday, July 6 at 5pm ET, with all September shows on sale Friday, July 8 at 10am ET. Disco Biscuits social media included a note to fans, “Plenty more tDB to come this fall! “
Levitt AMP 2022 in Utica, NY has announced the lineup for the summer music series. The artists will perform at Kopernik Park this summer. Concerts will take place on Monday nights from 6-9 P.M. from June 20 to August 29.
The 2022 season will feature headlining artists from New Orleans, Nashville, Chicago, Iowa, Virginia, Rhode Island, Canada, and New York State. The concerts also feature opening local and regional acts and youth intermission acts.
The series brings in the most diverse audience in the city in a family-friendly, non-alcoholic, joyful, welcoming environment. The music series also helps add to the economy in Utica and promotes communal bonding.
The New Respects were named the Levitt Foundation’s National Touring Band for 2022. They are a mix of pop, soul, and rock and deliver a high energy and funky music. Through their music, you hear their inspirations like The Rolling Stones and Lenny Kravitz.
Roberta Lea is a rising artist, described as having “a voice like cinnamon and a pen-like butter.” She plays a mix of classic country, country soul, country rock, and pop country, and has no limits to expressing herself through her songs.
Walter and Wagner Caldas, are 31-year-old identical twins better known as the Brazilian 2wins or “B2wins.” Their instrumental music ranges from pop to hip hop and iconic classics reimagined. Each song drips originality and youthful exuberance. Their mission is to make the world smile after growing up very poor in Rio de Janeiro.
Argonaut & Wasp are a blend of indie, alternative, edge, and funk grooves described as the perfect soundtrack to NYC. They formed over a love for house/dance music and bring in 70s fashion, 80s synths, and 90s culture to their band.
Curley Taylor and his band, Zydeco Trouble use soulful, bluesy vocals along with zydeco beats to create their unique musical style. Curley began his music career at 16 playing drums in his father’s band, and since then has always had a passion for music.
Bassel & the Supernaturals tells the story of Bassel Almadani’s experience as a first-generation Syrian-American using funk-inspired rhythms, soulful melodies, and lyrics regarding love, loss, and the war in Syria. They have performed at major festivals, performance halls, and more while also working closely with organizations on events and residencies that build awareness and empathy for Syrian refugees.
The Big Takeover Band is a seven-piece New York band that plays original music that is rooted in the genres of Jamaican pop, reggae, rocksteady, and ska. They also cross lines between genres and blend traditions. They connect the spirit of Motown and the sophistication of the 21st-century retro-soul scene.
New York hip-hop artist Miranda Writes is known for her modern sound with strong lyrics and diversified beats. She is not signed to a major label, however, her 2018 single “Too Blessed” rose to No. 5 in the Digital DJ Pool charting alongside Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, and Ciara. She is the first biracial female hip-hop artist to cross over into the snowboarding market.
Ariel Posen is “one of the most exciting guitar players around” with show-stopping extended solos. His influences are electrified Americana, R&B, Beatles-inspired pop, and rock and roll. He has spent his childhood on the road with his musical parents, and found himself doing his own gigs traveling the world.
Shawnee Taveras is a Dominican-American singer-songwriter who brings heat to the stage with high-energy salsa accompied by a band creating music that is impossible not to dance to. In 2019, Taveras was awarded the Premio Conga de la Salsa in the Dominican Republic for best new musical act. She has had top ten singles in the Dominican Republic and has toured extensively in that country.
The Levitt AMP 2022 summer concert series is free to all those who attend and is happening from June 20 to August 29.
On his website J. Schnitt, a singer songwriter from Utica, references a quote from an unnamed review that refers to him as “the Bob Dylan of Central New York”. An ambitious claim, a flattering compliment and, as of now, only half true.
Dylan’s greatness was his uncompromising ability to craft songs that made his Nobel Prize winning songwriting its focal point no matter what else surrounded it. In a 2016 profile Rolling Stone said, “what set Bob Dylan apart from everybody was how he wielded language.” Depending on who you ask he either never could or never cared about making the voice that wielded that language sound “good”. But with Dylan it didn’t matter how he sang rather what he sang about.
On his newest release, Winter Gospel, J. Schnitt, delivers complex, lyrics in the best tradition of folk singer-songwriters but he does it with someone else’s voice. The album’s weakest moments are when he masks his true voice and, in turn, his true self. To be like Dylan you have to give your full self over to the music, flaws included. Only then can your virtues shine.
J. Schnitt’s virtues are his nimble guitar playing which offer up a variety of melodies that, while still keeping the album firmly ensconced in the easy listening subgenre, avoid repetitiveness and thus boredom. From the dramatic strumming of “High Crimes” to the subdued melancholy of the legato chords in “The Art of Giving Up” J. Schnitt composes songs that match his undeniable songwriting talent. And when his actual singing doesn’t, he shouldn’t run from it. He should embrace it.
In the album’s standout track, “Skipping Stone”, J. Schnitt sings “I was your skipping stone/thrown across the water/and as I sank below you picked up and grabbed another”. An analogy striking for its originality and descriptiveness. The emotional desolation of being callously replaced by a former lover told through the simplicity of a childhood pastime. It’s a feat of songwriting that should be lauded for its unique depiction of lost love. But it’s a feat that’s dampened by the contrived falsetto J. Schnitt uses when he repeatedly strains the word “thrown” to affect the sentimentality expected from the dulcet tones of singer-songwriters performing acoustic love songs. In fact, the song’s best vocals are the appealing way he coaxes “water” and “another” into rhyming. The soothing naturalness of his voice as he does so leaves you wondering what a full album of J. Schnitt’s moving lyrics sung in his real voice would sound like.
It matters that the voice he uses is entirely his own because the songwriting deserves it. In an interview with 315 Music J. Schnitt said, “it was time for me to get back to writing something from a more personal space. To look inward.” It’s a promise J. Schnitt delivers on throughout Winter Gospel.
On the introspective and crooning “What You Can’t Let Go” he isn’t just insecure but concerned he might always be. “I’m still looking for a way to shake this feeling I’ll always be wrong,” he pleads with himself. And on the album’s closer, the story song, “Rabbit in the Road” he recounts the story of his parents’ enduring relationship. Still, he continues to use the facsimile of another singer’s pitch perfect, choir boy harmonies instead of his own voice. In a well written, evocative song about the frustrating nature of insecurity or an ode to parental love and affection it’s better to communicate through the rasps, yelps, bleats, and caws of your own imperfect voice than by simply trying to sound “good”. That’s the difference between being a great singer and a great vocalist, like Dylan was.
If folk music is the language of Americana and authenticity its currency, then you can’t say anything authentic if you’re faking an accent. The people came for J. Schnitt so give them J. Schnitt.
J. Schnitt’s ballad about folk and rock legend Bob Dylan and his decision to go electric in 1965.
On March 10th, Samantha Fish performed in Utica at the Stanley Theater, one of the first of many shows on her 2022 Tour, sharing the stage with co-headliner Devon Allman.
With opener “The River Kittens,” she and the band created a humorous hype for the crowd. This is not the first Samantha Fish show I’ve seen, but it was one of the best, with a spectacular final act from Devon Allman.
Samantha Fish originally grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, a town known for its jazz/blues heritage and old school rock vibe. In her early teen years, Samantha learned to play guitar and soon rock on to the electric guitar. In 2009 she released her live album Live Bait and since then has collaborated with others on additional releases.
The Stanley Theater performance featured songs from her newest album Faster, released in September 2021. A few standout songs this evening were “Faster,” “Better Be Lonely” and “Kill or be Kind.” The Samanatha Fish Band consists of Ron Johnson on bass, drummer Sarah Tomek, and Matt Wade on keyboard. The band makes their presence known on stage and did an outstanding job bringing the audience to uproar, enthusiasm and a tremendous Thursday Night show.
We are excited to see what Samantha brings for the rest of her 2022 tour.
Samantha Fishw/ Drummer Sarah TomekSpecial GuestRon JohnsonPERRI SAGE PHOTOGRAPHY http://perrisage.com
Today marks the anniversary of the maiden voyage for the Grateful Dead to Utica. Certainly no strangers to New York City and the Hudson Valley by 1973, the Dead would soon begin to make their mark all over the Empire State. The band was still very much in the emotional wake of the recent death of founding member Ron “Pigpen” McKernan who was laid to rest just weeks earlier. The first shows afterwards were three nights at the Nassau Coliseum and now this new iteration of the Dead headed upstate for two more in Oneida County. This first night of music is an impressive showing from start to finish, filled with fan favorites and a whole bunch of new material debuted earlier this year. It’s all gas and very little breaks as the set list will attest, just the latest dose of good music at the Aud with Santana having played here last month and Procol Harum scheduled for a gig next month.
The recording for this show doesn’t start until the tail end of the show-opening “Bertha,” picking up in the middle of a Jerry Garcia-led jam before its closing verse. The audio quality itself is more than passable though and the Dead launch into a first set staple in “Me And My Uncle” next. The opening set also features a “Wave That Flag,” a song that would only be played a handful of times on this spring tour in 1973 before later being formally resurrected as “U.S. Blues” next year. It’s the same melody and general song structure, just with some slightly different lyrics along side some ultra jazzy piano fills from Keith Godchaux.
After some customary post-song tuning, things take a turn for the mellow as Bob Weir takes the helm for the delicate “Looks Like Rain.” It’s a wonderful display of group musicianship as the playing ebbs and flows along with the emotional progression of the song, peaking in a short but explosive jam that the Utica crowd loudly acknowledges. The “Tennessee Jed” that follows gets stretched out even further, with a catchy jam that comes to a slow crescendo, before the Dead reign it back in with a “Box Of Rain” that sees Donna Jean Godchaux backing up bassist Phil Lesh on vocals on the American Beauty classic. Donna then assumes lead vocal duty for a cover of the Loretta Lynn tune, “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” another song only played a handful of times in 1973.
The opening set of music then reenters the “boy’s club,” so to speak, with the next two song selections, one old and one new. A spirited but quick run through of another first set stalwart in “Jack Straw” precedes a still-fledgling “Row Jimmy” that was debuted just last month, but all the same, sees the band tugging at the collective musical heart strings once more. Afterwards, presumably in response to crowd requests for “Saint Stephen,” Phil Lesh loudly affirms they “don’t do that one anymore” with Weir adding, “Because we liked it too much.” It wouldn’t be played live again for more than another three years.
Instead, the Dead run through the old, reliable “Beat It On Down The Line” before treating Utica to another live show newcomer. This time it’s a mesmerizing “Here Comes Sunshine” that sees guitarists Garcia and Weir complementing each other wonderfully on a song that certainly shows the potential to be a fixture for the years to come but, oddly, would be shelved for almost twenty years instead.
An already marathon-like first set then continues with, fittingly, a crisp take of “The Race Is On” with Weir impressing on rhythm guitar before Garcia takes the baton and leads the way through an incredibly emotive “Loser.” After Weir then follows suit with a Western-themed song of his own in “El Paso,” The Dead finally bring the landing gear down on their first ever set at the Memorial Auditorium in Utica with an absolutely flawless run through of “China Cat Sunflower” along with a vintage “blink and you miss it” segue into “I Know You Rider.” Then, for good measure, they tack on a “Playing In The Band” after this that the “core four” of Garcia, Weir, Lesh and drummer Bill Kreutzmann just run circles around. The jam instantly goes dark and deep, taking its sweet time before coming back up for air. It’s one of the show’s true highlights and caps off a lengthy first set that lasts well more than 90 minutes.
There’s no signs of this show slowing down anytime soon as the Dead reemerge for the second set with a feisty “Greatest Story Ever Told” that’s accentuated by Donna Jean’s passionate vocals. The band then introduces another newcomer to the scene, one of the earliest played versions of “They Love Each Other,” in its original faster, shuffle-like tempo that’s laid down smoothly by Kreutzmann. Afterwards, Weir and Garcia go tit-for-tat once more as they trade lead vocal duties on “Mexicali Blues” and “Brown Eyed Women,” respectively, before teaming up on a cover of “Big River” as the band keeps churning out songs.
The tide then turns back to the introspective with the delicate “Brokedown Palace” that follows along with a triumphant take of “Me and Bobby McGee” with some spirited backup vocals from Garcia. After another long tuning break, the Dead come out of the huddle with a fakeout of sorts as they play the airy instrumental “Weather Report Suite Prelude” but then instantly shift gears and drop into one of their signature psychedelic soundscapes, “Dark Star,” which more than ably takes cares of the “Space” portion for this Grateful Dead show.
Emerging from the “Dark Star” haze are the opening chords for another song soon to be a second set fixture for years to come, “Eyes Of The World,” which also made its live debut just last month. The Dead go deep once more here, with another fifteen-plus minute jam highlighted by some pure guitar wizardry from both Garcia and Lesh.
Things slow down one last time with the “Wharf Rat” that follows, a song that happened to make its debut at a legendary show at New York’s Capitol Theatre in Port Chester two years ago. The strides the song has made during this time are evident as a noticeably blues-driven collective jam gets attached to the back end of this one before coming to a standstill. To close out this impressive display of their ever-growing musical catalog, the Dead dole out a few more longtime favorites to the Utica crowd starting with an emphatic “Sugar Magnolia” that Bob and Donna Jean drive home. A set-closing “Casey Jones” then serves as the de facto encore this evening, wrapping up an extensive three-plus hours of music and setting the stage for a repeat performance here the following night.
View this and more Grateful Dead shows from across the years in New York State with our interactive map below
Grateful Dead Utica Memorial Auditorium – Utica, NY 3/21/73
Set 1: Bertha, Me & My Uncle, Wave That Flag, Looks Like Rain, Tennessee Jed, Box Of Rain, You Ain’t Woman Enough, Jack Straw, Row Jimmy, Beat It On Down The Line, Here Comes Sunshine, The Race is On, Loser, El Paso, China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider, Playin’ In The Band
Set 2: Greatest Story Ever Told, They Love Each Other, Mexicali Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Big River, Brokedown Palace, Me And Bobby McGee, Weather Report Suite Prelude-> Dark Star-> Eyes Of The World-> Wharf Rat-> Sugar Magnolia, Casey Jones
