NYS Music 202​2

Category: Regions

  • Outlaw Music Festival 2022 Coming to Bethel Woods, Darien Lake and SPAC

    The Outlaw Music Festival returns for its 2022 tour, with a number of great artists and three NY stops. Festival goers will have the chance to see artists like Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers and Billy Strings, along with many others at the Bethel Woods Center, Darien Lake Amphitheater and SPAC.

    Headed by Willie Nelson, the festival celebrates togetherness and provides a place for friends and family to come together. Starting 6/24, fans will have the opportunity to see performances from a different mix of artists every night including big names like Chris Stapleton and rising stars like Brittney Spencer.

    Fans can expect more than just stellar performances, as there are also unique vendor villages where local foods and drinks can be bought. Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer will join the festival tour as the “Official Hard Seltzer”, hosting pop up experiences, giveaways and more.

    Outlaw Music Fest 2019

    After originally debuting in Scranton, PA in 2016, Outlaw Music Festival has expanded into the national event that it is today. The festival has gained prestige due to the previous award winning acts that have performed such as Robert Plant, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. 

    Tickets, as well as the lineups for each date can be found here.

    June 24, 2022 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre 

    June 25, 2022 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena

    June 26, 2022 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center

    July 1, 2022 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP 

    July 2, 2022 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

    July 29, 2022 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center 

    July 30, 2022 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center 

    July 31, 2022 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake 

    August 12, 2022 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion 

    August 13, 2022 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center 

    August 14, 2022 – Darien, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater 

    September 9, 2022 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre 

    September 10, 2022 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

    September 11, 2022 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veteran’s United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

    September 13, 2022 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater 

    September 16, 2022 – Boston, MA – Xfinity Center 

    September 17, 2022 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion

    September 18, 2022 – Saratoga Springs, NY – SPAC

    September 23, 2022 – Philadelphia, PA – Waterfront Music Pavilion 

  • LL Cool J’s Rock The Bells Festival In Queens Announced, Featuring Ice Cube, Lil Kim, and More

    A new day-long celebration of Hip-Hop culture founded by LL Cool J called Rock The Bells Festival will be happening at Forest Hills Stadium in LL’s hometown of Queens on August 6.

    The festival will feature live performances, art exhibits, food, fashion, interactive experiences, and more. Each performer was hand-picked for their culture-defining careers, undeniable talents, and contributions to Hip-Hop culture.

    Rock Bells Lineup Poster

    Featured on the lineup are LL Cool J, DJ Z-Trip, Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Lil’ Kim, The Diplomats ft. Cam’ron, Jim Jones & Juelz Santana, Fat Joe & Remy Ma, Jadakiss, Scarface, Trina, N.O.R.E, Digable Planets, and more to be announced.

    LL Cool J said in a statement that he is excited to bring all these artists together to celebrate Hip-Hop culture.

    This festival is my way of showing love to the community of Hip-Hop and celebrating the incredible journey this culture has taken, going from DJ Kool Herc’s Sedgwick Avenue rec room, to the global phenomenon we all cherish today. Getting to bring some of the most iconic and influential Hip-Hop artists to the same stage, in my hometown and the city that started it all, is an honor and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store for them.

    For fans that cannot make it to the festival, they can tune into LL Cool J’s Rock The Bells Radio on SiriusXM (Ch. 43) for exclusive live coverage. Tickets go onsale April 4 for pre-sale, and April 8 for general sale, and tickets can be found here. For each ticket sale, Rock The Bells will be donating partial proceeds to the Universal Hip-Hop Museum in the Bronx.

  • Brooklyn-Based Band Forever Honey Drops Newest Single “Number One Fan”

    Forever Honey, a Brooklyn-based Indie Rock group is once again expanding their discography with the release of their newest single “Number One Fan.”

    Forever Honey

    Forever Honey is composed of Liv Price (lead vocals, guitar), Aida Mekonnen (lead guitar, vocals), Steve Vannelli (drums, keys), and Jack McLoughlin (bass, production). They are known to blend different sounds, stories and emotions to relate to their fans.

    Their newest song came to be from personal experiences and the title of it is meant to be literal. Forever Honey created a song that expresses the point of view of social media users scrolling through the various platform. The group focused on the everyday thoughts, anxieties, and pressures from using social media.

    “Number One Fan,” in particular, is our least abstract/most literal song, lyrically. The entire thing is about scrolling through instagram and seeing the highlights reel from everyone’s life. You know people, deeply, in the least meaningful ways; you fall in love with the least accurate version of someone.

    Forever Honey

    The group also discussed, during the beginning of the pandemic everyone was focused on TikTok and Instagram, which is where the lyrics from “Number One Fan” originated from.

    Despite enduring obstacles, as a result of the pandemic during the debut of their first EP Pre-Mortem High, Forever Honey still managed to grasp an audience and make a name for themselves within the music industry. Their first live show took place in the Summer of 2021, following the release of their single “Satellite” and ever since Forever Honey has continuously elevated their skill set.

    To learn more about the band and their upcoming work visit their official website.

  • Dark Star Orchestra Celebrates New Year’s in April, Honor Local Albany Promoter

    The spirit of the Grateful Dead was alive and well this past weekend as veteran improv rockers Dark Star Orchestra finally played their annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Albany. Held on April 1st and 2nd at the storied Palace Theatre and re-dubbed “Fool Year’s Eve,” the joke was on you if you missed this gratuitous good-time jubilee.  Couldn’t make it to the show? No need to worry, our man on the scene, NYS Music photojournalist Zak Radick was there and has a full recap of all the sights and sounds from the memorable occasion.

    dark star orchestra Albany

    It all started around 7pm when suddenly out of nowhere, they came out from everywhere.  Funneling into the base of Clinton Ave and North Pearl, an apparent make-shift flash mob of “Dead Head’s” made the sidewalk near McGeary’s Irish Pub the weekend’s designated ‘Shakedown Street’ for this trip to Albany. A traveling do-it-yourself marketplace for fans to commerce and socialize with our like-minded folks, these pop-up flea markets AKA Shakedown Street’s, have been a longstanding fixture for fans of the original Grateful Dead community going on decades now and are just one of the many traditions fans still regularly practice. It was a nice thing to see in a town that’s been through so much, yet never lost heart. Vibrant and friendly, chatty and colorful, the pre-game hustle was in full swing outside the historic venue just prior to showtime.  Having already been there and done that, the older ‘heads’ soon began filing inside, not wanting to miss a moment of the opening acoustic set from DSO guitar player Jeff Mattson.  And they were sure glad they did, as they were serenaded by a delightful opening combo of “Dire Wolfe” and “Deep Elem Blues” while finding their seats. Soon word had reached the street that the show “was on” and before long the lower level of the gorgeous room was packed with people and yes, an overwhelming smell of patchouli, body odor and pot. 

    dark star orchestra Albany

    The Palace looking as lovely as ever, a simple glance around the theatre revealed a fan base the spanned all ages and backgrounds, but most skewing older.  Many wearing tie dye, some with dreadlocks to their knees and flowers in their hair, others covering up in cowboy hats and trucker caps, while other came dressed in their New Year’s best, sporting their finest sparkling dancing pants and glamorous glittering jackets.  Still, there were the other ones.  The fans who looked like regular Joes you’d pass in a grocery store aisle and never expect they’d know every single word to every single song written by Jerry Garcia and company. The brief but beautiful acoustic set from Mattson also featured Lisa Mackey on harmonica and concluded with a sentimental rendition of “Ripple,” sending fans buzzing to intermission debating if that was a recreation from a Dead set, or a standalone, original set of select Dead covers.  

    dark star orchestra Albany

    With balloons hanging high over the Palace, the Dark Star Orchestra causally took the stage around 8:30 to a rowdy ovation from eager and attentive fans. Comprised of members Rob Eaton and Jeff Mattson on guitars and vocals, Rob Barraco on keys, Rob Koritz and Dino English on drums and percussion, Skip Vangelas on bass and Lisa Mackey on backing vocals and harmonica, DSO has been a fixture in the jam scene for more than 20 years and have over 3,000 shows under their belts.   Bringing the essence of a live Grateful Dead show back to reality for a whole new generation, the band is often seen as one of the top acts of their kind, and now popular enough to fill a place like the Palace.  An impressive testament to their consistency and quality of performances. 

    Perhaps with acknowledgement to GD history, or perhaps in acknowledgement of the heady pre-show Shakedown scene earlier, it seemed fitting when Dark Star Orchestra opened the second set of the night with a rambunctious rendition of the beloved classic “Shakedown Street”. The appreciative audience already spilling out into the aisleways and concession overflow area in full ‘dance-party boogie’ mode. By this point, you just had that old familiar feeling that it was fixing to be a fun night! From there, the band went into a “Me and My Uncle >Mexicali Blues” segment, followed by a lively “Cold Rain and Snow” that saw the crowd showcasing their collective ‘singalong’ voices one of the loudest times of the night. A “blues” heavy set, we also caught “CC Rider,” “It Must Have Been the Roses,” “Beat It On Down The Line,” and a lengthy “Big Boss Man>New Minglewood Blues>Don’t Ease Me In” to send fans to their second set break of the evening.

    There was a special moment just prior to the start of the third set when the DSO crew invited legendary Albany promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions out to the stage.  Marking thirty years to the day since holding his first show, Bell made a brief but candid toast, thanking the dedicated music fans of the Capital Region for all the support over the years.   A mutual moment respect and acknowledgement for a man who’s meant so much to the local music community for the last three decades.

    dark star orchestra Albany

    When everyone returned, the rocking second set kicked off with “Iko Iko” and then in one of the musical peaks of the night, a fantastic high energy take on a “Playing in the Band”>  “Terrapin Station” > “Playing in the Band” sandwich before things got a little weird with the obligatory “Drums/space”.  Things started cooking again with the slow and building crescendo of “The Other One” that seamlessness faded into “Not Fade Away” and “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad.”  “Morning Dew” would round out the set with just enough time for another quick break before the midnight shenanigans would ensue.

    dark star orchestra Albany

    Honoring the spirit of the original Grateful Dead, the band played well into the evening giving fans exactly what they were hoping for.  As the clock now approached midnight, the balloons that had been hanging over head all night finally released and DTO began the famililar chords of the song they took their name from, “Dark Star.” Loving every second of it, fans were quick to bat the balloons around like beach balls, and seemingly keep them afloat for the remainder of the show.  A pair of fan favorite “Bertha” and “Good Lovin’” brought the show to an end and the audience to their feet, howling in approval and for just one more.   Happy to oblige, DTO returned with Lisa Mackey taking center stage during an encore of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” before cluing the audience this performance was an originally inspired by the Grateful Dead’s December 311st, 1981 show in Oakland, California.

    A great performance made even better by the great crowd, Dark Star Orchestra surpassed expectations. They sounded fantastic, musically tight and with singing voices strong and full of vigor.  It was an evening drenched in familiarity and comfort and the result was a near perfect atmosphere for the audience to let themselves get lost in.  That indescribable feeling only the live music experience can deliver and on this first night in April, the Palace Theatre in Albany was truly a fool’s paradise.

    Dark Star Orchestra | 4.1.2022 | Albany, NY | Palace Theatre

    Set 1: (Jeff Mattson Acoustic) Dire Wolf, Deep Elem Blues, Ripple

    Set 2: Shakedown Street ; Me And My Uncle > Mexicali Blues ; Cold Rain And Snow ; C.C. Rider* ; It Must Have Been The Roses** ; Beat It On Down The Line ; Big Boss Man* > New Minglewood Blues* > Don’t Ease Me In

    Set 3: Iko Iko ; Playing In The Band > Terrapin Station > Playing In The Band > drums > space > The Other One > Not Fade Away > Going Down The Road Feeling Bad > Morning Dew

    Set 4: Dark Star > Bertha > Good Lovin’

    Encore: It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue**

    Filler: My Sisters And Brothers

    * with Lisa on harmonica – original had Matt Kelly
    ** with Lisa on vocals – original had Joan Baez

    Dark Star Orchestra | 4.2.2022 | Albany, NY | Palace Theatre

    Set 1: Hell In A Bucket > Let It Rock ; When I Paint My Masterpiece ; Loser ; Cumberland Blues ; I’ll Take A Melody > Deal ; Masters of War ; Box Of Rain > One More Saturday Night

    Set 2: Here Comes Sunshine > Greatest Story Ever Told ; Revolution > Feel Like A Stranger > drums > space > Corrina > Help On The Way > Slipknot! > Throwing Stones > Days Between > Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower

    Encore: Brokedown Palace

  • Bob Mould Announces 2022 World Tour, Stops in Pawling, Albany and Woodstock

    Bob Mould, former member of Hüsker Dü, has announced his 2022 World tour with stops in Pawling, Albany and Woodstock. Mould will be joined by openers H.C McEntire, Vic Bondi and J. Robbins. 

    PC : James Richard IV

    The Malone, NY native will spend a total of four months touring the world, from California all the way to the UK and Ireland. His journey will end back in the States, in North Carolina, on 10/23. His three NY dates include Daryl’s House in Pawling, Lark Hall in Albany and Levon Helm Studio in Woodstock.  

    Mould has recently announced the opening acts that would be joining him on different sections of the tour. H.C McEntire will join the California and Southern shows, Vic Bondi will join the Pacific Northwest shows and J. Robbins will join the Northeast shows. 

    Fans will be able to enjoy performances of Mould’s latest work, including songs from recent release The Ocean, as well as Hüsker Dü throwbacks and much more. The Ocean features special acoustic versions of songs from Mould’s 2020 album Blue Hearts and a rendition of Hüsker Dü’s, ‘Divide and Conquer’.

    Tickets are on sale now.

    Tour Dates

    Mar 30 Ventura CA Ventura Music Hall (with H.C. McEntire)

    Apr 01 Palm Springs CA Alibi (with H.C. McEntire)

    Apr 02 San Diego CA Casbah (with H.C. McEntire)

    Apr 03 San Juan Capistrano CA Coach House (with H.C. McEntire)

    Apr 05 Los Angeles CA Troubadour (with H.C. McEntire)

    Apr 06 Sacramento CA Harlow’s (with H.C. McEntire)

    Apr 08 Petaluma CA Mystic Theater (with H.C. McEntire)

    Apr 09 Santa Cruz CA Felton Music Hall (with H.C. McEntire)

    Apr 10 Berkeley CA Freight & Salvage (with H.C. McEntire)

    Apr 12 Portland OR Doug Fir (with Vic Bondi)

    Apr 14 Vancouver BC Rickshaw Theatre (with Vic Bondi)

    Apr 15 Bellingham WA Mount Baker Theatre Lounge (with Vic Bondi)

    Apr 16 Olympia WA Capitol Theater (with Vic Bondi)

    Apr 18 Seattle WA Triple Door (with Vic Bondi)

    Apr 19 Eugene OR Sessions Music Hall

    May 13 Newton NJ Newton Theater (with J. Robbins)

    May 14 York PA Appell Center (with J. Robbins)

    May 15 Philadelphia PA World Café Live (seated) (with J. Robbins)

    May 17 Pawling NY Daryl’s House (with J. Robbins)

    May 18 Albany NY Lark Hall (with J. Robbins)

    May 20 Woodstock NY Levon Helm Studio (with J. Robbins)

    May 21 Plymouth NH Flying Monkey (with J. Robbins)

    May 22 Greenfield MA Hawks & Reed PAC (with J. Robbins)

    May 24 Old Saybrook CT The Kate (with J. Robbins)

    May 26 East Greenwich RI Greenwich Odeon (with J. Robbins)

    May 27 Provincetown MA Town Hall (Cape Cod) (with J. Robbins)

    Jun 04 Helsinki FI Punk It Fest (with PiL and Fucked Up)

    Jun 09 Brighton UK Concorde 2 (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 10 Ramsgate UK Ramsgate Music Hall (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 12 Birmingham UK The Mill (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 13 Southampton UK Engine Rooms (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 14 Oxford UK Oxford O2 Academy 2 (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 16 London UK Islington Assembly Hall (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 17 Nottingham UK Rescue Rooms (with Katie Malco))

    Jun 18 Stoke-on-Trent UK The Sugarmill (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 20 Bristol UK Thekla (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 22 Glasgow UK Oran Mor (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 23 Newcastle UK Riverside (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 24 Liverpool UK Arts Club (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 25 Leeds UK Brudenell Social Club (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 27 Chester UK The Live Rooms (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 28 Cardiff UK The Globe (with Katie Malco)

    Jun 30 Belfast UK Limelight 2 (with Katie Malco)

    Jul 01 Dublin IE Whelan’s (with Katie Malco)

    Jul 7 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall (*Bob Mould Band)

    Oct 07 Louisville KY Headliner’s Music Hall (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 08 Bloomington IN Buskirk Chumley Theater (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 09 Nashville TN City Winery (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 11 Athens GA 40 Watt (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 12 Atlanta GA City Winery (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 14 Ponte Vedra FL Ponte Vedra Concert Hall (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 15 Charleston SC Pour House (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 16 Carrboro NC The ArtsCenter (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 18 Richmond VA The Broadberry (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 19 Vienna VA The Barns (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 21 Annapolis MD Rams Head (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 22 Rocky Mount VA Harvester Performance Center (with H.C. McEntire)

    Oct 23 Asheville NC Grey Eagle (with H.C. McEntire)

  • VOIVOD Announces North American Dates for “Synchro Anarchy Tour”

    Juno Award-winning band VOIVOD announces their tour dates for this coming June, “Synchro Anarchy” Tour for North American shows. The tour will stop in NY on June 14th in Buffalo at the Rec Room, June 17th in Brooklyn at the Market Hotel, and June 18th in Liverpool at Sharkey’s.

    VOIVOD

    The tour is in support of the band’s new album, “Synchro Anarchy” that hit the charts in multiple countries like #2 on Billboard Canada’s Hard Music Albums chart, #6 Current Hard Albums in the USA, #7 on the UK’s Rock & Metal chart and #7 in Germany along with others.

    At last! After more than two years without touring, we are finally hitting the road in June 2022 in North America. We are thrilled to play the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest, It will also be exciting for us to play songs from Synchro Anarchy for the first time live! We can’t wait to see our old Voïvodian friends again and meet some new ones. See you then!

    -Michel “Away” Langevin (drums)

    VOIVOD now has 15 studio album’s and continue with their creative freedom for nearly 40 years. During the early 80’s even as the thrash metal scene was on the rise, VOIVOD kept their distinct character as a band throughout.

    Not many bands are able to survive for four decades after achieving legendary status, but VOIVOD continues the uphill climb as one of the most creative and passionate bands on the planet. VOIVOD consist of Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain (guitar), Denis “Snake” Belanger (vocals), Michel “Away” Langevin (drums), and Dominic “Rocky” Laroche (bass).

    All ticket info and links can be found HERE.

    VOIVOD TOUR DATES:

    June 1 Trois Rivieres QC L’Entité 

    June 2 Ottawa ON Bronson Centre Music Theatre 

    June 3 Toronto ON Phoenix Concert Theatre

    June 4 London ON The Music Hall

    June 5 Detroit MI Small’s

    June 6 Chicago IL Reggie’s

    June 8 Huntington WV The Loud

    June 9 Columbus OH Ace of Cups

    June 10 Philadelphia PA The Fillmore Decibel Magazine Metal and Beer Festival (There will be a Voivod beer)

    June 11 Baltimore MD Ottobar

    June 13 Pittsburgh PA Crafthouse

    June 14 Buffalo NY Rec Room

    June 15 Cleveland OH Grog Shop

    June 17 Brooklyn NY Market Hotel

    June 18 Liverpool NY Sharkey’s 

    June 19 Boston MA Brighton Music Hall

    August 12 Belgium Alcatraz Festival 

  • Disco Biscuits Unleash An Array Of Inverted Jams In Return To Capitol Theatre

    This past weekend, the Disco Biscuits joined the Double Digit Club at the legendary Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, performing three nights at the hallowed venue, bringing their total to eleven shows in all here. The whirlwind three nights of music featured some of the band’s most beloved songs meshed with some bustouts and first timers that all led to an incredible weekend of music at The Cap.

    disco biscuits capitol theatre
    photo by Em Walis

    The Biscuits came shooting out of the gate on Thursday night, thanks to a dusted off “Chemical Warfare Brigade,” the first one in more than six years. Another opening set highlight was a “House Dog Party Favor” that went delightfully dark and deep at times, surpassing the 20-minute mark. The set came to an end in vintage Disco Biscuits fashion with a “Story Of The World” > “Munchkin Invasion” > “Story Of The World” sequence, although “Munchkin” went unfinished and would surprisingly remain that way the entire run.

    The band kept the old school hits coming with a “Hot Air Balloon” second set opener that also went unfinished, and instead morphed right into a thunderous “Shem-Rah Boo.” Emerging from “Shem,” drummer Allen Aucoin put on a drumming masterclass with the rare inverted approach to “Portal To An Empty Head.” It would be the first of many memorable song inversions this run, where a song’s ending is played immediately before its beginning.

    Friday night brought with it a calendar page turn into April and all the potential for mayhem that comes along with April Fool’s Day. To that degree, a “Nughuffer” opener came as somewhat of a surprise, even admitted so by bassist Marc Brownstein in his traditional mid-song banter. But after a quick trip to Zex Sea, the Biscuits were off and running with another monster trance-fueled jam to start the show. An unfinished “Spaga” then later bled right into one of the band’s newer efforts, “Running Into The Night.”

    The second set began with a mesmerizing drawn out jam that served as the runway for the intro to “Run Like Hell,” one of the band’s singature cover selections. This gave way to a parade of song inversions, starting with a very common one in “Confrontation.” A couple of inverted animals then followed suit in standout takes of “Crickets” and “Aquatic Ape” before “Basis For A Day” closed out the set in grand fashion. As an encore, the Disco Biscuits trotted out “Friend Like Steve” one more, a recently-penned birthday song for a friend of the band. Doubling down on the “FLS” songs, the band then unleashed a surprising first time ever cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Feel Like A Stranger.”

    disco biscuits capitol theatre
    photo by Em Walis

    After two nights of barn-burners, Saturday took the Biscuits legacy at the Cap to a new level. With a fan written setlist once again guiding the band, tonight’s show was a true hallmark of the weekend and raised an already elevated bar even higher.

    The band came out swinging in Set 1 with “Denmark Massive,” a song not played since 2008, and originally written by The Join (Marc Brownstein, Aron Magner, and The New Deal’s Jamie Shields and Darren Shearer), as noted by Zachary Franck. The Biscuits first studio single in a decade, “Lake Shore Drive” segued cleanly from “Denmark Massive” and into an inverted “Morph Dusseldorf.” The moment the audience heard the shift into the “Morph” ending, the room lit up with energy and peaked as the band and crowd sang in unison “Morph, morph from Dusseldorf, changing all the time, and if you stay the same one day, that night will be sublime.” The moment built on that peak by segueing into the beginning of “Morph,” a none-too often occurance.

    A combination of “And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night” with a potent “Cyclone” sandwiched inside would follow, a dream setlist and nothing short of creative and challenging for the Disco Biscuits.

    disco biscuits capitol theatre
    photo by Em Walis

    “Vassillios” kicked off the second set, with neither the band nor crowd losing steam during setbreak. The eventual shift into the foreboding and evil vibe of “Orch Theme” took no prisoners and laid the groundwork for a Club Bisco vibe that reigned through the rest of the night. With the doors swung open, an inverted “Sweating Bullets,” the first ever such version, burst through for 25 minutes of peaks upon peaks that built with each successive ascent. Barber and Brownstein were found hopping around and getting down on stage, pairing well with the audience, creating a pure rock and roll moment, in the Original Rock Palace, naturally.

    An equally dominant “Tempest” arrived out of “Sweating Bullets” and back into the second half of “Vassillios,” bringing the set nearly full circle. Shifting into the ending of “I Remember When,” the audience was elated in unison, singing along, a reflection on the 3 years (with two cancellations) that it has taken the Disco Biscuits to return to the Capitol Theatre stage.

    Prior to the encore, Peter Shapiro, owner of the Cap, came out to reflect on hearing the Disco Biscuits for the first time in 1997 at The Wetlands, and led the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig. Marc Brownstein then gave recognition to faithful longtime Tour Manager, Ryan Noel, who was spending his last run with the band this weekend, bidding him a farewell with the crowd pouring out love.

    Perhaps reflecting on those sentiments, the band returned to the beginning of “I Remember When” to start the encore before shifting into Walter Murphy’s “A Fifth of Beethoven,” a final dose of disco for the night, one etched into Disco Biscuits and Capitol Theatre lore.

    Disco Biscuits Capitol Theatre 2022 Setlists

    Thursday, March 31

    Set 1: Chemical Warfare Brigade* > Once the Fiddler Paid, House Dog Party Favor, Story of the World > Munchkin Invasion* > Story of the World
    Set 2: Hot Air Balloon* > Shem-Rah Boo > Portal to an Empty Head^ > The Great Abyss > Shem-Rah Boo
    Encore: Home Again
    * unfinished
    ^ inverted

    Friday, April 1

    Set 1: Nughuffer > Spaga* > Running Into the Night > Aceetobee* > Rock Candy
    Set 2: Run Like Hell* > Confrontation^ > Crickets^ > Aquatic Ape^ > Basis for a Day
    Encore: Friend Like Steve, Feel Like a Stranger&
    * unfinished
    ^ inverted
    & debut

    Saturday, April 2

    Set 1: Denmark Massive* > Lake Shore Drive > Morph Dusseldorf^ > And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night > Cyclone > And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night

    Set 2: Vassillios > Orch Theme > Sweating Bullets% > Tempest > Vassillios > I Remember When&

    Encore: I Remember When&, A Fifth of Beethoven$

    * last played 6/9/08 (548 shows)
    ^ inverted
    % last played 1/31/19 (103 shows); first ever inverted version
    & dyslexic
    $ last played 11/3/18 (119 shows)

    Photos by Em Walis

    disco biscuits capitol theatre
    disco biscuits capitol theatre
    disco biscuits capitol theatre
    disco biscuits capitol theatre
    disco biscuits capitol theatre
    disco biscuits capitol theatre
    disco biscuits capitol theatre

  • Caroga Arts Receives $1 Million NYSCA Grant, Announces Summer Lineup

    Caroga Arts in Caroga Lake, NY is one of two organizations receiving the $1 million grant from New York State Council for the Arts (NYSCA) that will be used to construct a new state-of-the-art amphitheater.

    The Caroga Arts Amphitheater rendering plan.

    Founder and artistic director Kyle Price spoke about the grant, and how exciting it is:

    We are honored to receive this award and thrilled to be working with renowned historic preservation architect LTRW and Consigli Construction Co from the Capital district. The Amphitheater serves as the first phase of a larger master plan that includes the restoration and renovation of the existing Main Building, Carousel, Bumper Car Pavilion, and Ferris wheel. We look forward to sharing updated renderings and information about the capital campaign for the first phase of both Sherman’s and Myhill properties.

    The Caroga Arts Collective plan to construct the amphitheater in Sherman Park, and it will be able to accommodate an 80-person orchestra and a stage house with backstage support, as well as having excellent acoustics. The construction is planned to have a warm, wood design that incorporates classical style elements.

    Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the New York Sate Council on the Arts gave 116 Capital Grants out. These reflect the depth of New York State’s art sector and will help spur economic development, job growth, and better access to arts and culture experiences.

    The 2022 Caroga Lake Music Festival summer season has also been announced, and will run from July 18 to August 21 and will feature over 30 performances by more than 120 artists. It will have a variety of genres, from pop to rock or folk to jazz.

    Caroga Arts Music Festival 2022 poster.

    Special guest performers include returning artists like Rushad Eggleston, along with new debuts and over 100 CLMF Resident Artists. The Caroga Arts Ensemble will present the iconic Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, the first major symphony to be performed in Caroga Lake, as well as other exciting orchestral and chamber works.

    The 5th annual Caroga Arts Gala featuring renowned saxophonist Eddie Barbash will take place on July 22 at Sherman’s. The CLMF Lessons and Ensembles Program will take place every Monday during the festival, and will feature general music workshops and individual or small group lessons and is open to anyone.

  • Honoring the Blues: Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues

    On Saturday March 26, 2022, the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater presented Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues, a special evening to honor the great blues artists in history and thank them for their contributions throughout the years. The night was augmented by photographer Joseph A. Rosen’s photos from “A Photographic Journey, Keeping The Blues Alive” projected behind the artists during the evening.

    The Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues bill included Professor Louie along with his compatriots in music, The Crowmatix.  Hudson Valley based Professor Louie & The Crowmatix are known for working with The Band and other notable Woodstock performers.  The night also featured multiple Grammy nominated Guy Davis. Davis is affectionally known as “An Ambassador of the Blues.” Guy has traveled the world bringing his style of the blues to all.  Completing the triad of performers was Joe Louis Walker.  Walker is also a Grammy nominee in additional to being a four-time Blues Music Awards winner, Blues Hall of Fame inductee, and recipient of the prestigious W.C. Handy award.

    Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues, background photo by Joseph A. Rosen
    Professor Louie & The Crowmatix, background photo by Joseph A. Rosen

    Each act performed a set, sharing its take on the blues. The five-piece Professor Louie & The Crowmatix opened the night sharing songs that influenced and inspired the band through its long tenure. Professor Louie and fellow band mate Miss Marie traded lead vocals, with Louie stepping out from the behind keyboards to play accordion on a few songs.

    Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues, performer Guy Davis
    Guy Davis

    The middle slot belonged to Guy Davis.  Sitting center stage with his acoustic guitar, Davis shed light on the origins of this classic genre with his playing style.  Drawing from Lead Belly and other blues notables, Guy’s set merged classics with originals, most strikingly his “Kokomo Kidd.”   To close out, Davis had the audience backing him on vocals as he sang a cappella accompanied by his harmonica.

    Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues, performer Joe Louis Walker
    Joe Louis Walker

    After a brief intermission, Joe Louis Walker and band took the stage.  Walker, originally from San Francisco and now a Hudson Valley resident, lit up the stage with his guitar prowess.  His playing let everyone know that the blues are here to stay.  With a powerful rhythm section supporting Walker, the band took the blues to the next level.  Joe interspersed his own compositions in the set as he and keyboard player Scott Milici traded leads throughout their time on stage. To finish off the journey through the blues, the house brought Joe and crew back for an encore to close out the night.

    Professor Louie & The Crowmatix

    Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues
    Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues

    Guy Davis

    Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues
    Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues
    Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues
    Professor Louie’s Century of The Blues

    Joe Louis Walker

  • ODESZA Announce Summer Tour, Forest Hills Show in August

    Electronic duo ODESZA announced that they will tour through the United States this summer. This news comes following the release of three singles this year alone. Their new album, The Last Goodbye, is scheduled to drop on July 22nd.

    ODESZA
    ODESZA

    The duo will perform at Forest Hills Stadium on Friday, August 26th. Located in Queens, the stadium can hold 13,000 people. ODESZA will join the likes of legendary acts Frank Sinatra and The Beatles, both of whom have played in this venue has hosted bands like The Who and Frank Sinatra.

    ODESZA TOUR DATES

    Fri, July 29 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena * >  SOLD OUT

    Sat, July 30 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena * > SOLD OUT

    Sun, July 31 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena * >  SOLD OUT

    Wed, August 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion * ^ ~

    Fri, August 19 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater * ^ ~

    Sat, August 20 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion * ^ ~

    Tue, August 23 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheater * + ~

    Thu, August 25 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion * + ~

    Fri, August 26 – New York, NY – Forest Hills Stadium * ^ ~

    Tue, August 30 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann * ^ ~

    Thu, September 1 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage * # ~

    Fri, September 2 – Montreal, QC – Parc Jean-Drapeau * # ~

    Sat, September 3 – Gilford, NH – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion * # ~

    Sun, September 4 – Boston, MA – Xfinity Center * # ~

    Wed, September 7 – Cincinnati, OH – The ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park * # =

    Thu, September 8 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre * # =

    Fri, September 9 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion * # =

    Mon, September 12 – Minneapolis, MN – Armory # =

    Wed, September 14 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre * # =

    Fri, September 16 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre * # =

    Tue, September 20 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre * # =

    Thu, September 22 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater * # =

    Fri, September 23 – Vancouver, BC – PNE Amp * # =

    Mon, September 26 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater * # =

    Tue, September 27 – Boise, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater * # =

    Thu, September 29 – Sacramento, CA – Heart Health Park * # =

    Fri, September 30 – San Francisco, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre * # =

    * Sylvan Esso
    ^ San Holo
    # Elderbrook
    + Ben Böhmer (Live)
    > ford.
    ~ Gilligan Moss
    = NASAYA 

    Artist pre-sale begins Thursday, March 31st at 10 AM and general tickets will be available the following day. For tickets, go to odesza.com/#tour.