The CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival will feature the great Bonnie Raitt on June 27th at the Festival’s 20th-anniversary edition. More than just a best-selling artist, expressive singer, and accomplished songwriter, Bonnie Raitt will bring her “Just Like That…Tour” on Tuesday, June 27th, 2023. The festival will be held from June 23rd to July 1st, 2023, in downtown Rochester.
The infamous Raitt has become an institution in American music. Born to a musical family, the ten-time Grammy winner is the daughter of celebrated Broadway singer John Raitt and accomplished pianist/singer Marge Goddard. Raitt was raised in Los Angeles where she grew up to have a respect for the arts and a commitment to social activism.
Bonnie is as known for her lifelong commitment to social activism as she is for her music. She has long been involved with the environmental movement, doing concerts around oil, nuclear power, mining, water and forest protection since the mid 70’s.
She even stated, “I’ve always wanted to make a record here, and once vaccinations made traveling safe again, we were thrilled to get everyone back together.” The mix of sounds and approaches on Just Like That…reveals how, 50 years after the release of her debut album, Bonnie Raitt continues to personify what it means to stay creative, adventurous, and daring over the course of a life’s work. “I think the absolute joy and relief of reuniting to play live music is really palpable on this record.”
With Just Like That…, this is her twenty-first album and first new release in more than six years. Rolling Stone even named her as both one of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” and one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bonnie Raitt continues to draw on the range of influences that have shaped her legendary career.
Tickets for Bonnie Raitt at CGI Rochester International Jazz Fest range in price from: Boxes $140, Orchestra $125, Loge/Mezzanine $105, Balcony $85. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 16th at 10am. To purchase, click the link here or call (585) 454-2060.
On November 18, Rochester recording artist Ryan Sutherland released his third album, Sutherland II. In the album art, by illustrator Sabrina Cintron, neon green smoke curls around a pumpkin-headed scarecrow. Set against “crimson skies” emanating out of a huge, looming full moon with black cats hanging around its crescent, you gain the perfect visual of Upstate New York, taken as the days get cold, the season of the witch, after the harvest.
Halloween’s spirits and spooks still hang in the air like old smoke as winter dramatically conquers fall; decreeing daylight cut-backs and strict sunlight curfews. While winter reigns, cold seeps through cracks in the once-grand, now dilapidated houses that line neighborhoods, the kind college students crowd into. Meanwhile, everyone dons kingly robes: trailing coats, vintage furs, cashmere socks, grandmother’s knits. Everyone’s digging things up, remembering, forgetting. Everyone’s just trying to get through another Upstate winter.
Through love affairs, drinks with the boys and a trip to the psych ward, Sutherland II documents how Sutherland himself gets through these days — with graceful vulnerability and powerful guitar chops. It nails down acutely the beautiful sadness of winter, its forced periods of intense introspection, its loneliness and its frustration. Sutherland validates all those emotions through shared experience and earnest vocals.
The sharp wind of winters can pull tears out the eye unwittingly, can flush cheeks artificially; the early sunsets can warp time — 6 p.m. starts to feel like midnight. Everything is not as it seems, but in the frigid sunlight you can see your own air when you breathe, it reminds you you’re alive, it reminds you where you are. “Take a deep breath / it’s the only thing that’s real,” Sutherland sings on “Breathe.”
Sutherland II is comprised of 11 tracks of psychedelic rock n’ roll. Sutherland is on guitar, vocals and bass, Alex Cote is on drums, and local legend Ben Morey played organ on “Breathe,” in addition to engineering and recording the album at his Submarine Sound Studios in Rochester. Ryan Sutherland notes his references as the likes of Kurt Vile, Bob Dylan and Sturgil Simpson, but there’s also a bit of Billy Bragg in his tone and chord progressions.
The album is perfect to listen to when walking through snowy streets at night, when they haven’t been plowed just yet, when the snow just fell, blanketing everything in eerie silence, stillness. You can listen through earbuds tucked into puffer jackets and hats and scarves, cold beer in a cold hand, frozen finger flicking a lighter, cracked knuckles, chapped lips. When it’s so quiet, too quiet, and you think you might go crazy, listen to track six, “Psych Ward Blues.” Sutherland shouts out the local Rochester staple: Strong Memorial Hospital, and bluntly recounts checking himself in, with smart timing and easy humor.
Driving Upstate in this season is surreal as well — all black trees, white lakes and red barnes. It’s depressing, but the depression of Upstate winters twists itself in the minds of those of us who have been here for the long haul, and it turns into a sense of pride, a game of “how much of this can I take?” “Everybody wants to leave Upstate NY,” Sutherland sings on “Everyone’s Leaving (Upstate NY)” Even Sutherland wants to leave sometimes, when the cold is bitter, when his boss calls him into his office, when the economies bad and he can’t save a dime. Still, Ryan Sutherland doesn’t leave, a mysterious force exists, holding him here, the beauty in the sadness: “I got a feeling this city needs me / or I need it / desperately.”
Charlie Parr walked onto the Arbor Loft stage, bundled up in a made-for-Minnesota-winters cardigan, minutes after opener Al Olender finished up her set. He sat down, settled in with his Mule resonator guitar and started to tune it. Or was he just playing?
The Rochester crowd milled about, conversing, getting a set break drink. Parr kept picking away, and it became more and more evident this was some mighty fine playing that deserves an attentive ear. And after a little while he leaned into the mic and started singing, “Can you remember what it’s like / When all the world’s filled with light / Now do you have that in your sight / Then spread it around, do.”
And Parr’s set started just like that, no welcome, no pretense, he just got right to it with “817 Oakland Avenue” off his excellent 2022 release Last of the Better Days Ahead. The crowd quickly quieted, the lights went down, and the show on Thursday, December 1st, had begun.
About 90 minutes later, after the peppy “Jubilee,” he flatly announced that was the end of his set, “Do you mind if I do the encore now?” With that he left the crowd with a stirring a capella rendition of the gospel, “Ain’t No Grave Gonna a Hold My Body Down.” He opened unceremoniously with a long guitar exploration and closed with just his voice. In between those bookends, the set was filled with the lush combination of his deft finger picking and rich voice.
Sometimes seeing an artist perform solo, even the great ones, you are left wondering what could be gained with a band or even just an accompanist. Not so with Charlie Parr. He sounded perfect all on his own. Through finger picks, slides, foot stomps and that ragged voice with unexpected range, there wasn’t empty space wanting for anything more. And modifications, like an “aggressive capo” on the mostly instrumental “Jaybird” got even more sound from that guitar.
“You know you’re at a folk show when a guy talks awkwardly while tuning his guitars.” Parr said, while tuning his guitar. He tuned quickly though, and like the way he opened his show, his tuning turned to playing without pause or hesitation. The show kept moving, with engaging upbeat songs, even if they were depressing in nature. He provided “palette cleansers” with some traditional folk blues tunes, like Brownie McGhee’s “Sportin’ Life” and Blind Willie McTell‘s “Delia,” the closest he was getting to playing a seasonal holiday song (not very close at all.) His original “On Stealing a Sailboat” referenced Arlo Guthrie in style, a romping spoken word story. No, there was no question or doubt about this being a folk show, or an Honest Folk show for that matter, the promoter closing out the year in grand fashion. We look forward to what’s in store for 2023.
The full house lent an attentive ear to opener Al Olender, a young singer-songwriter from the Hudson Valley making her third return trip through Rochester this year. She immediately connected with the crowd on catchy and clever “All I Do Is Watch TV,” finger picking and strumming her vintage electric guitar and emoting with her silky smooth vocals. Her friend Amanda Brooklyn came out to aid with sparse but well-placed harmonies. She cut through sad subject matter with engaging and humble humor, in her lyrics, with in-song jokes, and witty banter. She was admittedly nervous performing a cover of Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou,” (you wouldn’t have guessed it from her delivery) but had no hesitation baring all about her own experiences in a bad breakup on “Liar Liar.” Olender is a new voice to keep an eye out for.
Charlie Parr – Arbor Loft, Rochester – December 1, 2022
Setlist: 817 Oakland Avenue, Last of the Better Days Ahead, Everyday Opus, Sportin’ Life (Brownie McGhee), Don’t Send Your Child to War, Cheap Wine, 1922 Blues, Dog, Jaybird, Over the Red Cedar, On Stealing a Sailboat, Delia (Blind Willie McTell), Jubilee Encore: Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down
We’ve got five must-see music suggestions to end your year this December here in Rochester. From the 1st to the 31st, we’ve got you covered. So work off that holiday meal, take a load off your holiday shopping stress, and get down and groovy with these great shows coming to town. Get out and celebrate a full (relatively) unimpeded year of live music!
Right off the bat we’ve got an incredible musician coming to town on the first of the month. You can’t really go wrong with an Honest Folk show, really you shouldn’t miss anyone they’re bringing in, but this show in particular is a bit extra as the kids say. As far as folk music goes, you’re not going to get much better than Charlie Parr these days. A scraggly looking Minnesotan, he’ll finger pick some blues tunes that’ll pierce your soul, up above the lit-up East End streets.
Rochester has been fortunate to be a longtime regular stop for Toronto’s The Sadies. Tragically they lost their founding member Dallas Good earlier this year. Though they are persevering, getting the band back on the road just recently with a tour of Europe. They’re blowing through town with a stop at the hole-in-the-wall Skylark Lounge, where they last played mere days before the pandemic shutdown. This will both rock and roll.
You gotta love a venue with a well-curated show schedule. Danny Deutsch, who both owns and books Abilene, knows good music. So when he books a band multiple times, you should take notice. When he books a band multiple times in the same year, you better go see why. He’s got Angela Perley back at the joint after she played back this August. Time then to get out to see what her “cosmic swirl of alt-country, psychedelic rock, and amplified Americana” is all about.
Water Street Music Hall is closing out the year with an excellent one-two punch of live music. Rochester’s favorite roots rock reggae band Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad opens up the festive weekend with their homecoming blast. They’re bringing Notorious B.I.G. cover band The Frank White Experience and local groovers The Sideways along for the ride as well as other surprise guests. Both sides of the club will be open and rocking so don’t miss out on this night of music and revelry.
One night later, Buffalo jam mavens Aqueous return to Rochester for some more heady goodness. Aqueous has long found a second home here and never let us down. If you’re looking for a New Year’s Eve that stretches and elongates and parties on until 2022 is no longer visible in the rear view, Water Street is the place to be. The Funky Dawgz and The Pickle Mafia round out the evening but as with Giant Panda, there are sure to be more “friends” popping up on stage.
Show starts at 7pm and tickets are $25.
That’s it for this month, see you out at the shows and see you back here next year!
Born and raised in Rochester, Alyssa has taken the country music scene by storm. Returning home from Nashville, she treated hometown fans to quite the mix of original tunes and covers at Iron Smoke Distillery in nearby Fairport.
Alyssa Trahan @Iron Smoke
Prior to making the move to the country music capital, Alyssa was writing and performing her own work locally, all while learning to play a dozen instruments along way. Quite the Jill of all trades, as she has been often called.
In 2020, during the COVID shutdown, Alyssa never slowed, as she wrote, produced, and played nearly all the instruments on a new album. Released in early 2021, it debuted in the top 10 on iTunes Country Music Album Charts with over 300k downloads. Pretty remarkable for an independently produced album! In addition to writing and producing, Alyssa has managed to be able to share a stage with young and old talents alike, including Lee Greenwood, Maddie & Tae, Sara Evans, and Molly Hatchet. Again, for a budding country artist, this is remarkable.
If you like Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, and Lee Ann Womack, or any combination of these artists, you need to check out Alyssa Trahan as she is quite the blend of them and then some. Trahan’s new album Baby Blues & Stilettos is out now
Bop Shop Records, an independently owned record store in Rochester, will celebrate 40 years this weekend, with four evening performances you won’t want to miss.
Tom Kohn opened Bop Shop Records in 1982, having spent his formative years in the 1970s working for MXR and Rounder Records, while collecting and listening to as much recorded and live music as he could. He has turned Bop Shop Records into special record show, well worth visiting as music collectors from all over the world frequently spend entire days there.
Specializing in fine-condition vinyl records and CDs (as well as buying records too), patrons can quickly learn that Kohn is passionate about sharing the music that moves him with people who are excited and curious about it, too.
Since 1988, Bop Shop has hosted jazz, folk and blues concerts at the store, including internationally renowned and up-and-coming artists. For 2022, the shop planned 40 Concerts Celebrating 40 Years, with the final four taking place over Friday, November 25 through Monday, November 28.
Those of you who’ve joined us for our first 36 concerts know that 2022 has been a great year of amazing performances at the Bop Shop. We’ve made new friends and rekindled old friendships, and definitely heard music that gave us the comfort and inspiration we’ve needed this year.
Tom Kohn
Kohn has also recently revived Bop Arts Inc., a not-for-profit that exists for the soul purpose of supporting the music the shop brings to town. All the funds generated from the concerts, along with donations, help Bop Shop Records bring the best in new forward-thinking jazz to Rochester.
A special four-night pass is available for $55, with single day tickets available for $20.
Bop Shop Records 40th Concerts Celebrating 40 Years – Final Shows – All start at 8 pm
Friday, 11/25 –Three Shamans – Ken Filiano, Phil Haynes and Herb Robertson.
Saturday, 11/26 – Joe Fiedler’s Open Sesame with Kirk Knuffke, Jeff Lederer, Chris Lightcap, Michael Sarin and Fiedler.
Sunday, 11/27 – Joe Fonda and Bass of Operation with Lederer again, playing clarinet, flute and piccolo; Michael Rabinowitz playing bassoon; Harvey Sorgen playing drums; and Fonda playing bass.
Monday, 11/28 – Michael Musillami Trio with guitarist/composer Musillami, bassist Fonda and drummer George Schuller.
Back in October, for seven straight nights, in seven different venues around Rochester, over 90 different artists from near and very far, became a part of the first ever Rochester Experimental Week. The quasi-festival was put on by promoter Eclectic Overdrive, a relative newcomer to the area’s scene.
Bonnie Kane and Tracy Lisk, photo by Raimund Selke-Fisher
Each night was jam-packed with quick hit sets from an eclectic group of musicians. Experimental music is an expansive and open descriptor for music. As such, styles ranged widely, from heavy and in-your-face, to quiet and reserved. But everything left of left-of-center. It was incredible free-form and incredibly, all free of charge. And nearly every venue was able to maintain all ages shows, a free for all that was quite literally free for all.
Nick Gianni & Reggie Sylvester, photo by Raimund Selke-Fisher
The week filled some of the more unique music spaces around town, like the Bug Jar, UUU Art Collective, the Spirit Room, Rosen Krown and 75 Stutson. Some nights stretched all the way into the mornings, Saturday’s schedule finished at 4am! NYS Music was in attendance for night five, at the budding creative space and music venue Dutch, a small old church off of Main Street bordering the Neighborhood of the Arts.
The centerpiece for the evening was Japanese percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani’s Gong Orchestra. Employing fifteen volunteer gong-ists from the area to follow his instructions and direction, Nakatani presented an exhilarating near-hour of non-stop gonging. Through bowing on the gongs’ edges and hitting them with various mallets, the Gong Orchestra pushed the gong’s sound to it’s limit. With every sound multiplied by fifteen it was about as loud and absorbing as un-amplified music can get. Any film makers out there looking for a soundtrack for their mysterious and eery project (thinking Midsommar, Dark etc), give Nakatani a ring, this sound is perfect.
Nakatani Gong Orchestra, photo by Raimund Selke-Fisher
Nakatani followed that up with a solo set, employing his unique kit, of course including a couple of gongs, and his unique playing. Unlike anything most have heard coming from a percussionist previously, and that was the core of the theme for the night, and week. The evening at Dutch also included a short set from Bonnie Kane (saxophone, flute, electronics) and Tracy Lisk (drums) improvising on what could best be described as avant-garde jazz. Another duo, Nick Gianni (saxophone, keys) and Reggie Sylvester (drums) similarly improvised around the outer edges of jazz with Sylvester interspersing some spoken word, with a vague running theme about the pandemic.
Tatsuya Nakatani, photo by Raimund Selke-Fisher
The week’s experiments were as much on stage as they were off. Rochester music lovers came out in strong support, ready to lend an open mind and open ears to widen their net of musical experiences. The question being asked wasn’t “What is experimental music?” it was simply “What is music?” It isn’t clear if Rochester was left with more questions or answers. Either way, Eclectic Overdrive will continue to give the artists a time and a place to run their various experiments. Next year’s Rochester Experimental Week II is already set and in the planning stages, see you in 2023, October 9-16!
Bursting onto the scene in 2017, Billy Strings has been selling out arenas big and small, bringing his bluegrass vibes to Rochester on November 9. Playing to a full house of denim, flannel, and tye-dye wearing fans, Strings and his ensemble gave the Blue Cross Arena a solid set of progressive roots-rock that went on for nearly three hours.
Billy Strings
Son of Terry Barber, a bluegrass musician himself, Strings was introduced to the genre at a young age and has been influenced along the way by some of the world’s greatest artists including Jimi Hendrix, Phish, and Black Sabbath.
Since bursting onto the music scene in 2019, Strings has collected some accolades and awards along the way including a Grammy in 2021 for Best Bluegrass Album (Home), 2022 Artist of Year from Americans Music Awards (also nominated previous two years), and 2019 International Bluegrass Music Awards for Best New Artist and Guitar Player of the Year. Assuming things keep going the way they are going, Billy will need a hall to house all his awards!
With the classic bluegrass sounds of the Dave and Deke Combo, Allison Krauss, Doc Watson, and Old Crow Medicine Show all still influential in their own rights, Billy Strings seems to have upped the ante for bluegrass/roots music. Although the classic dualling banjos will never get old, time have changed, and Billy Strings has set the tone.
Billy Strings – Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY – Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Set 1: Old Train; Turmoil & Tinfoil; Running the Route; Stone Walls and Steel Bars; Fire Line; Running; Ashland Breakdown; The Train That Carried My Girl From Town; Black Mountain Rag; Love and Regret; Bronzeback; Must be Seven; In The Morning Light; Everything’s the Same
Set 2: Heartbeat of America; Red Rocking Chair; Hollow Heart; While I’m Waiting Here; Pyramid Country; And Your Bird Can Sing; Been All Around This World; The Fire on My Tounge; Air Mail Special; Hellbender; John Deere Tractor; Tipper; Dust in a Baggie; Cold, Cold World
On Friday, February 17, 2023, rock-trio King Buffalo, will be performing at Empire Underground on their just announced tour, along with an appearance by special guests, Swell the Fellas. The group is returning from their tour with Clutch, and more recently with Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, from their spring tour in North America.
King Buffalo
Members of the Rochester-based group are vocalist and guitarist, Sean McVay, bassist Dan Reynolds, and drummer Scott Donaldson. The band has released a total of four full-length EPs, “Acheron”, “The Burden of Restlessness”, “Dead Star”, “Longing to Be the Mountain” and “Orion”, since their formation in 2013 and most recently had their fifth full-length EP called “Regenerator” released on Sept. 2, 2022.
Empire Underground Performance of King Buffalo Poster
The album “Regenerator” is a pinnacle piece demonstrating a modern psychedelic sound production, while containing elements which stretch the stylistic boundaries of the underground rock genre. The band’s self release in North America and through the Europe-based company, Stickman Records, serves as a leading thematical counterpart to their prior projects, such as the 2016’s “Orion” debut, 2018’s “Longing to Be the Mountain”, as well as other EPs.
Drummer Scott Donaldson, discussed with NYS Music about King Buffalo and their most recently released album, Regenerator.
Heather Occhino: How did your band come together and what made you decide to be drummer?
Scott Donaldson: We formed from 2 bands from the Rochester area. As my band was breaking, so was Sean’s and Dan’s. I approached them about doing some stuff together and we had a natural chemistry, and have been rolling since then.
HO: How do you manage all the aspects of being in a band and still find time to make music?
SD: Being a musician and managing the day to day is a full time job. Fortunately, I’m able to handle the business side of things. When it comes to making music, we all jam together and form new some ideas. At this point, Sean will take the recordings and rearrange the ideas to form a more cohesive structure. Then we work through those ideas together until the song is complete.
HO: How you would you describe your music?
SD: We’re basically a new age classic rock band. We can be grouped into sub genres like psychedelic rock, stoner, metal, prog and so forth but we don’t really tie ourselves to any specific category.
HO: How were prior tour performances both in and outside of the U.S? Have you seen a growth in your listening base since then?
SD: We have seen significant growth since the pandemic in both Europe and North America. It’s nice to have some recognition since next year will be ten years as a band, but there is plenty more still to accomplish.
HO: Are there any artists who influence your sound or inspire you creatively?
SD: I think each of us are inspired daily by numerous influences. It’s impossible to pick any because anything can have a placebo that you might not even realize.
Tickets for the performance at Empire Underground can be bought here.
The Kodak Center in Rochester on Friday, November 4th hosted the legendary Steve Vai. Playing this small city for the first time since he played at the same venue on the “Generation Axe” tour in 2018, this show was in support of his 2022 Inviolate album.
Steve Vai- Photo credit- Mike Miller
The band behind the sixty two year old Steve Vai hasn’t changed at all within the last nine years or so. Jeremy Colson on drums, Dave Weiner on guitar/sitar/acoustic has now added keys to his arsenal on the side of the stage, and rounded up by Philip Bynoe on six string bass guitar.
The beautiful venue had some tickets for sale at the door many fans were seen purchasing last minute. The lights dimmed down at the scheduled start time of 8pm, with a little call and response part while Steve was standing off to the side of the stage. He was getting the crowd to howl and sing along to the noises he was making with his trusty Ibanez Jem guitar, much like the start of the David Lee Roth classic “Yankee Rose” with the talking guitar or like his mentor Joe Satriani’s crowd chant.
Jeremy Colson
Steve finally walks onto the stage and after a little improv jam with the band then they immediately launch into a track called “Avalancha” from his new album. This is an upbeat number to kick off the show, lots of double bass drumming in this one with Jeremy attacking his Tama Starclassic drum set on this very melody driven song despite the rhythm shifts.
During the show Steve explained to the crowd he had to reschedule his tour due to an accident. He told the crowd he was making pizza in his pizza oven and injured his shoulder in the process. He thanked the crowd many times for attending as this venue was different than the originally scheduled one.
Dave Weiner
In total Steve played twenty songs for about a two hour set time. Each band member was given a solo spot thought the show. Drummer Jeremy started his drum solo with a didgeridoo which the crowd did not expect, but welcomed.
During the song, “Teeth of the Hydra”, Vai played a three-necked Ibanez guitar. Which is a twelve string neck, a seven string neck, and a bass neck. During “For the Love of God” Vai brought out his audio monitor engineer Danny G who sang opera for the first verse and chorus. Vai is currently on tour for another month.
Setlist: Avalanche, Giant Balls of Gold, Little Pretty, Tender Surrender, Lights Are On, Candlepower, Bass solo, Building the Church, Guitar solo, Greenish Blues, Bad Horsie, I’m Becoming, Whisper a Prayer, Dyin’ Day, Drum solo, Teeth of the Hydra, Zeus in Chains, Liberty, For the Love of God Encore: Fire Garden Suite I- Bull Whip
