Marco Benevento has announced a brand new full-length studio album, Benevento, which drops June 10th via Royal Potato Family. Accompanying this exciting news, Benevento’s newest single, “Marco & Mimo,” is available for streaming now.
Additionally, Benevento has announced that they will be touring this April and June with a stop at Abilene Bar and Lounge in Rochester.
“Marco & Mimo,” the first single from the album, contains three songs. On it, Benevento blends groovy funk bounce with psychedelia, creating a beautiful blend of these two formative 80s genres. The vocals on the tracks further transport you into this window of time Benevento creates, transporting the listener back forty years. The single reeks of personality only Benevento can create and his talent shines through. My personal favorite, Winter Rose, has snappy instrumentation, mind-bending keys, and entrancing vocals that make for a magnificent listen.
The entire album was recorded in Woodstock at Fred Short Studios during the pandemic, and the sounds emitted from Marco & Mimo pay homage to Woodstock’s iconic psychedelic culture and history.
In addition to his new album, Marco Benevento has also announced a list of upcoming shows:
4/7 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
4/8 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
4/9 – Fairfield, CT – Stage One
6/22 – Rochester, NY – Abilene
6/23 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird
6/24 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
6/26 – Rothbury, MI – Electric Forest Festival
7/1 – Scranton, PA – Peach Music Festival
7/3 – Quincy, CA – High Sierra Music Festival
9/3 – Portland, ME – Ghostland Festival
Tickets and limited edition bubblegum pink and classic black 180-gram vinyl are available at marcobenevento.com.
After two years of silence on Rochester’s downtown streets, the 19th edition of the Rochester International Jazz Festival will finally take place June 17-25, 2022. From the 17th through the 25th the streets will literally come alive with music. The entire headliner series will be taken out of Eastman Theater and presented free out on Parcel 5 and also in MLK Park on the final weekend. Add in the free shows on Gibbs, er Jazz, Street, the Fusion Stage and elsewhere, that’s over 130 free shows over nine days.
Of course the festival’s signature Club Series is also back. Both the Little Theater and Innovation Square (née Xerox Auditorium) are back after renovations, along with Kilbourn Hall, Max of Eastman Place, Montage Music Hall, Hatch Recital Hall, Glory House (formerly Lutheran Church), Wilder Room, Temple Theater and the Big Tent. The Hyatt Regency Ballroom will also be added as the newest venue. Club passes are on sale now in both 3- and 9-day varieties. There truly is no better way to enjoy the festival.
“It is with a profound gratitude to all our patrons and sponsors that RIJF has been able to weather the past two years of the global pandemic. It has been an extremely challenging period worldwide for all live event producers. We are beyond excited to bring the Rochester International Jazz Festival back to all of you as global health restrictions ease. From June 17-25, we will stage another amazingly diverse program for all patrons to enjoy in Downtown Rochester. We invite you all to downtown Rochester to enjoy the finest in creative improvised music, and never forget: ‘it’s not who you know, it’s who you don’t know.’
John Nugent, Producer and Artist Director
The full lineup can be found below. See RochesterJazz.com for full schedule and details and stay tuned for our preview in early June. See you on Jazz Street!
3D Jazz Trio In The Spirit Of Ray Brown, Adam Melcho, All In Brass Band, Ana Egge, Andy McKee, Arturo O’farrill Quintet, Bad Sneakers, Big Lazy , Bill Frisell Trio, Bill Tiberio Group, Bob James Quartet, Bob Viavattne, Bobby Rush, Booker T Presents: A Soul Stax Revue, Brockport Big Band, Brubeck Brothers Celebrating Dave Brubeck’s Centennial, California Guitar Trio, Champian Fulton, Champian Fulton Trio, Charlie Lindner & The Pickle Mafia, Chris Botti, Cinnamon Jones, Con Brio, Connie Han, Connie Han Trio, Cy Smith, Danielle Ponder, Davina & The Vagabonds, Dan Wilson, Dayna Kurtz, Devon Allman Project with Special Guests Allman Family Reunion, Dmitry Baevsky Quartet, Drum Battle!! Kenny Washington vs. Joe Farnsworth, Dwayne Dopsie & Zydeco Hellraisers, Emmaline, Eastman School of Music / Eastman Community Music School Group, Eastman School of Music-Rochester International Jazz Festival Jazz Scholarships Performance, G Love & Special Sauce, Gary Versace Trio, Gate Swingers Big Band, Giveton Gelin, Grace Serene & The Superclean, Greece Jazz Band, Grupo Ife, Hans Bilger Group, Harold Danko, Helen Sung, Helen Sung Trio, Hell’s Kitchen Funk Orchestra, Hot Club of Cowtown, Huntertones, Immanuel Wilkins, Itamar Borochov Quartet, Jamie Baum Quintet, Jeremy Beck & The Heavy Duty Horns, Jeremy Pelt Quintet, Jesse Stone, Jimmie Highsmith Jr., Jochen Ruckert Quartet, Joe Locke Group, John Bailey Sextet, Jon Ballantyne, Jonathan Kreisberg Quartet, Jonathan, Scales Fourchestra, Joonas Haavistio Trio, Judah Sealy Band, Kaisa’s Machine, Kenny Werner Trio, Kind Folk, Kurt Elling “Super Blue” W/ Charlie Hunter, Laura Anglade Quintet, Lew Tabackin Trio, Lioness, Majestics, Martin Taylor, Matt Savage Trio, McDonald Labarbera Quintet, Melody Masters Big Band, Michael Weiss, Michael Weiss Trio, Mike Cottone & Friends, Mike Ledonne Trio, Moho Collective, Ms. Lisa Fischer, Music Educators Big Band, Nabate Isles, New Power Generation, Nikki Hill, NYC Chillharmonic, Parker Trio, Paul Beaubrun, Penfield Big Band, Peter Bernstein, Prime Time Brass, Ranky Tanky, Ravi Coltrane Freedom Trio, Red Hot & Blue, Reverend Paytons’s Damn Dig Band, Richie & Rosie, RIJF All Stars, Rina, Robin Mckelle, Robin Thicke, Rochester Metro Jazz Orchestra, Ryan Johnson & The Coexistence, Samantha Fish, Samara Joy, Sammy Miller & The Congregation, Sarah Mckenzie, Scott Mulvahill Trio, Shayna Steele, Sheila E., Sonidos Unidos, Soul Stew, Spyro Gyra, Stephane Wrembel, Sunna Gunnlaugs, Sunna Gunnlaugs Trio, Syndicate Jazz Band, Tessa Souter, The Aquaducks, The Able Bodies, The Bacon Brothers, The Cookers, The Dip, The RT’s, Tiberi & Garzone Quartet, Tivon Pennicott Quartet, Tommy Emmanuel, Tommy Smith, Tuck & Patti, Tuomo & Markus, Under The Surface, Vanessa Collier, Ward Hayden & The Outliers, Wayne Escoffrey Quartet, Wynonna Judd.
There once was a time when marijuana was illegal in New York State, and on March 21, 1976, David Bowie and three associates found themselves arrested for possession in Rochester. How he ended up taking the most iconic mugshot of all time unveils a deeper layer to the story.
David Bowie’s iconic mugshot
On March 20, 1976, David Bowie was in Western New York performing amid his 65 show international Isolar Tour, in support of Station to Station, having performed just once previously in Rochester on June 17, 1974. On this evening, as he was two years prior, Bowie was at the Rochester Veterans War Memorial, and began the evening as he did at each stop this tour – without introduction and showing the 1928 surrealist film Un Chien Andalou by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, which includes a famous section of a razor blade cutting into a woman’s eyeball. Bowie appeared on stage immediately as the film finished, while the audience was still disoriented.
9,200 fans came out for this Saturday night performance, and although Bowie reportedly had the flu during the concert, he sang without issue. As Bowie closed the show with “Jean Genie,” he said to the audience, “Thank you very much, we’ll see you in about five months from now, thank you.” Seeming to imply a return to Rochester that fall, tonight would be Bowie’s last time ever performing in Rochester.
David Bowie – Rochester War Memorial Auditorium – March 20, 1976
Setlist: Station To Station, Suffragette City, Fame, Word On A Wing, Stay, Waiting For The Man, Queen Bitch, Life On Mars, Five Years, Panic In Detroit, Changes, TVC, Diamond Dogs Encore: Rebel Rebel, The Jean Genie
Bandmates performing with Bowie this tour included music director Carlos Alomar (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Stacy Heydon (lead guitar, backing vocals), George Murray (bass guitar, backing vocals), Dennis Davis (drums, percussion), and Tony Kaye (keyboards). The band became collectively known as Raw Moon.
The next week, the penultimate North American tour performance took place at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which was recorded by RCA Records with portions broadcast by The King Biscuit Radio Network, later released as Live Nassau Coliseum ’76. It is from this show that Bowie and his entourage would drive back to Rochester for their eventual arraignment on the 25th.
The Arrest of David Bowie
So how did Ziggy Stardust end up getting arrested in Rochester after the show? As detailed by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle in 1976, and again in 2017 with a first hand account of the arrest, it seems Bowie was set up following the after-party, acting on a tip.
That first hand account comes from Chi Wah Soo, who at the time was a twenty-year-old Rochester local that had moved to Rochester from Hong Kong with her parents when she was eleven. Soo used lyrics from her favorite music to learn English, and attended the concert, catching Bowie’s eye from the front row. Bowie passed a note to her through a third party, saying “Meet me at my party. David”. Obliging him, Soo remarked that he had a “halo around his head” when he arrived at the party, saying “Hello, love” to her.
After the party, Bowie, his bodyguard Dwaine Vaughs, Iggy Pop and Soo went to American Rochester Hotel, at 70 State Street (now a Holiday Inn), and met two girls (undercover cops) at the hotel bar, who were looking to score cocaine. After receiving a seemingly unrelated prank call, and with police listening next door, the party was over for the night as the four were arrested for possession.
At 2:25 am on March 21, three police detectives and a state police officer searched Bowie’s three-room suite, where they found 182 grams of marijuana – a little more than six ounces. It does seem that Bowie mugged for the camera before being taken to jail, with the photo below showing Bowie posing for a photo opp., with Iggy Pop to his right and the arresting officers on either side.
All four were booked at Monroe County Jail on fifth-degree criminal possession, which at the time was punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The four were all released around 7 a.m. on $2,000 bond each, with Bowie covering the cost for everyone.
Upon being brought to jail, Bowie used his real name, David Jones, and an address of 89 Oakley St., London, England. The others he was arrested with were identified as James Osterberg, Jr., 28 (Iggy Pop) of Ypsilanti, Michigan, and Dwaine Vaughs, 22, of Brooklyn, who was Bowie’s karate instructor and bodyguard. Soo was also arrested, and while the three men moved onto the next show in Springfield, MA, it would be a few days before all four were back in court to face the charges.
The Return for Arraignment
On March 25, the first day Bowie had a break from tour to return to Rochester, the Thin White Duke was greeted by a large crowd that included a teen fan who got his autograph as he stepped off an escalator, and “a half-dozen suspected prostitutes,” according to the John Stewart from Democrat and Chronicle.
Bowie wore a gray three-piece leisure suit and pale brown shirt, holding a matching hat, and was represented by Rochester lawyer Anthony F. Leonardo. He was arraigned within 10 minutes, pleading “Not guilty, sir.”
Reportedly at the arraignment, Soo gave Bowie her traditional Chinese wedding blanket, and Soo believes that in the music video for Bowie’s 1983 hit “China Girl,” her blanket appears in the music video. The pair would not speak again after this day.
Bowie and his entourage used stairwells and elevators to avoid the crowds, using a side exit to arrive at Leonardo’s office on the Times Square building’s seventh floor. Although he had remained silent throughout the morning, Bowie granted a five-minute interview to newspaper reporters in Leonardo’s office, although his lawyer would not allow any questions directly concerning the arrest, saying it was the first criminal charge he’d ever faced.
While complimenting the city police, Bowie noted the protection they provided him when he arrived back in Rochester. “They were very courteous and very gentle. They’ve been just super,” said Bowie. His fans efforts were also noted, saying he felt “honored” by fans’ support and insisting that the arrest would not sour him on future concerts in the city. Bowie answered most questions in the brief interview with short answers, shaking hands with reporters as they entered and left Leonardo’s office.
Over the next month, all four were allowed to remain free, and Bowie, being in Europe on tour at the time, was excused from appearing at the next hearing. Perhaps having a sense of humor about the case, Judge Alphonse Cassetti set the preliminary hearing for all parties on April 20, 1976. The charges, however, were effectively dismissed in May when a grand jury declined to indict Bowie or the other three.
Another Look at the Mugshot
The mugshot photo was uncovered in 2007, when auction house employee Gary Hess was clearing out the estate of a retired police officer. Hess gave the print to his brother Todd to sell on eBay, and wanting to garner some publicity for the sale, Todd leaked the photo to The Smoking Gun, which quickly published the photos and helped the image go viral.
The photo ended up selling on eBay in 2007 for over $2,700 to an “uber fan” in the Midwest, who notified the singer of the special purchase; Bowie was reportedly “pleased” at the news.
As you might notice, the mugshot displays March 25 for the date, and while this is not a typo or error, the circumstances are certainly unique given that David Bowie was arrested in the early morning hours of March 21, yet the date displayed is four days later. The reason for this was that Bowie’s lawyer successfully argued to delay arraignment until March 25, given that Bowie was mid-tour – with four stops left in North America – and the penalties for being forced to appear in court on March 21 would be stiff, given that he was due to perform at Springfield Civic Center in Massachusetts that night.
Bowie took the opportunity for a ‘staged’ mugshot photo to look as dapper as possible, posing for one of the most iconic mugshots in rock n roll history. The mugshot has even spawned a documentary, Bowie Goes to Jail, as well as merchandise.
On February 26th, Cannibal Corpse stopped by to a sold out show at Anthology in Rochester and accompanied with a pretty heavy line up by White Chapel, Revocation, and Shadow Of Intent. Upon entering the venue, you can tell right off the bat it was going to be a packed house with the main floor area already full and lines at the mercy tables. The show started off with Shadow Of Intent who reigned from Connecticut and wasted no time getting the crowd moving and you can feel the energy throughout.
Cannibal Corpse
Next up to kick off the wild night was Revocation, who was formed in Massachusetts. Revocation was a fun band to watch as front man David Davidson, who is the lead vocalist and guitarist.
White Chapel
After them, we had the heavy hitters, White Chapel who are well known for their American deathcore music. When they took the stage, things got a bit foggy and rowdy as some decided it was time to give the security staff a workout.
Looking back into the crowd, all you can see is a sea of metal lovers waiting for the main reason why we all came out tonight. Cannibal Corpse, who is no stranger to the area as they were formed in Buffalo back in 1988. As soon as the band kicked off their set, crowd surfers were in full force, making some of the photographers duck for cover as the security staff was busy catching them. Watching them perform was a delight, as they really showed why they are part of some of the most iconic death metal bands around. With their tour in full swing still, surely it won’t be long before Cannibal Corpse comes back with another killer show that would most definitely sell out again.
Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy took a trip from their home in Victoria, British Columbia to Rochester New York. Their first time to the US as a married couple, or at least their first as the couple making up the band Ocie Eliot, 2022 Juno Award nominees for Breakthrough Group of the Year. It was also their first show of 2022.
The sparse but beautiful space in the Arbor Loft was the perfect environment to take in Ocie Eliot’s likewise sparse and beautiful music. Middleton led the way with a captivating picked guitar melody, or rhythmic strums. Lundy coaxed gently shifting organ tones or at times short melodic piano lines out of her small Mellotron keyboard. Occasionally dual harmonicas or amplified foot stomps added depth and texture. But throughout, their voices, particularly in harmony, highlighted each song, punctuated with poignant and familiar lyrics.
When you haven’t played much in two years time, even old songs can seem new. Ocie Eliot spent much of the pandemic writing and recording, releasing four EP’s in that time. Songs like “Take Me Home” felt fresh to introduce, but as noted by Lundy, it isn’t really all that new anymore. And songs written in the before-times, like “Alive and All,” though released during the pandemic, felt more like a reaction to it: “And I want to yell from a hill, I’m alive / and I want to cry out until, I am fine.”
Interspersed with their originals, they worked in some more familiar material, to this American audience at least. Covers of some of the best songwriters around in Gillian Welch’s “Miss Ohio” and Simon and Garfunkel‘s “The Boxer”, provided a bit of grounding. A more obscure cover of Youth Lagoon’s “17” provided some late show sparks however, as they took a more ownership with their own spin.
Still, the highlights came in their own songwriting. Their strengths all collided gloriously in “Coming Home,” complete with a dual harmonica interlude, and again midway through the second set on “Run To You,” with its syncopated piano and guitar elevated the vocal harmonies. Long walks on an abandoned rail line inspired “Tracks,” which worked repetitive lyrics into a near round, building to a familiar train-themed harmonica finish. An emotional Lundy explained how she sang “Forest Floor,” her father’s favorite song, to him recently on his death bed. A slow-grooving rocker that again, felt more like it would have been inspired by his passing: “Through the light softly the colours storm / And we both come to falling / Let me down easy, baby /Lay me down on the forest floor.”
A portion of proceeds from all Honest Folk shows benefit the Center for Youth in Rochester, but for this show, 100% was donated. There’s a promoter in it for all the right reasons. And they continue to bring in great folk shows to town, next up being Dead Tongues at Good Luck on on May 15. Get your tickets!
Metalcore titans Killswitch Engage brought their Atonement Tour to Rochester at the Main Street Armory with August Burns Red and Light The Torch. With only a couple shows left to go on their U.S. run, all the bands still gave it their all and the crowd was singing along to every song.
Opening the night was Light The Torch, fronted by Howard Jones who was Killswitch Engage’s previous singer before Jesse Leach came back. Both Howard and Jesse contributed some of the best Killswitch material they have released, and it is always a great pleasure to see when there’s no bad blood between artists and they tour together. Immediately starting their set, Howard Jones takes to the dim it stage to a roar of applause from the crowd. Not holding back, Light The Torch goes right into “More Than Dreaming”, which showcases Howard’s vocals in both his cleans and screams.
After listening to Killswitch Engage for so long, and not being too familiar with Light The Torch’s work, it is difficult to not compare this band with the sound Howard brought with his time in Killswitch. There are some similarities, however that is mostly due to Howard having a fantastic voice that just carries to whatever project he is working on. Light The Torch had a 10 song set that was basically nonstop from start to finish. Some of their hard hitting songs such as “Calm Before The Storm”, “Death of Me”, and “Become the Martyr” really set the mood for the evening and did a great job of energizing the audience. Closing out their set with “Die Alone” Howard told the crowd how much it means to him to be able to still perform after experiencing a dark time, and how fortunate he is to have his band members with him. “I fucking love this so much, thank you, thank you, thank you!” he says before giving the crowd the metal horns and ending their set.
August Burns Red wasted no time coming out swinging with “The Truth of a Liar”. Immediately, it’s like a switch is hit, going from Light The Torch’s dimly lit set to a full blown lightshow and fog machines. August Burns Red didn’t slow down at all for their set, feeding off of the crowds energy as mosh pits emerged and crowd surfers started flowing. The bands vocalist, Jake Luhrs, commanded the crowd with his stage presence as he moved around swinging the microphone and jumping up onto their platforms. Highlights of their set included a very surprising cover of the “Legend of Zelda” theme song right into “Mariana’s Trench”. Performing for just under an hour, August Burns Red really delivered a great performance. This was many of the attendees first time seeing them live, as shown by a raise of hands when asked by Jake Luhrs who’s first time it was, and it was clear they won over many new fans.
After a quick teardown of the August Burns Red set, Killswitch Engage is ready to take the stage. Opening with “Unleashed” off their latest album, was the perfect introduction. Since this was one of the final shows of the tour, you would expect the band to be a little worn out, however this was not the case. Jesse Leach ran around the stage full of energy, singing and screaming the songs with as much enthusiasm as you’d expect on the opening night.
Killswitch Engage always puts on a fantastic show, and this night was no different. The banter between guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz and the crowd provided a comedic value that is almost expected at a Killswitch show. With fan favorites to sing along to such as “My Last Serenade”, “Daylight Dies”, and “My Curse” it was a pleasure to hear a combination of their older material as well as their new stuff. The highlight of their set was definitely when Killswitch brought Howard Jones on stage to sing two of their most well-known songs, “The End of Heartache” and “Rose of Sharyn”. This set the crowd into a massive sing along which was so much fun. Ending their set with a duet of “The Signal Fire”, Killswitch Engage delivered one of the best metal tours so far this year.
Setlist: Unleashed > Hate by Design > Know Your Enemy > My Last Serenade > I Am Broken Too > Reckoning > In Due Time > Daylight Dies > This Fire > As Sure as the Sun Will Rise > The Crownless King > Irreversal > Always > My Curse > Strength of the Mind > Rose of Sharyn(with Howard Jones) > The End of Heartache(with Howard Jones) > The Signal Fire(with Howard Jones)
The Rochester Lilac Festival has announced 11 headliners set to perform free shows at the 2022 festival. This marks the return of the live music concert series since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, renowned musical acts will be performing to an estimated 500,000 visitors every day of the festival from May 6-8, May 12-15, and May 19-22. This year’s festival will highlight more than 85 musical sets over the course of the three weekends, and there will be many supporting acts throughout the day with performances from the music programs of local schools.
Festival Organizer Jeff Springut said he is very excited to bring the festival back.
Safely bringing back our beloved free live music concert series is something that we have looked forward to since the start of the pandemic. We have a great mix this year of national and local favorites, and we’re excited to see the lawn come alive once again in 2022 while guests enjoy the performances planned by our talented lineup.
Annie in the Water has released their third studio album, Sun at Dawn. After Michael Lashomb and Bradley Hester met at Hobart College in Geneva, the band has gone through a plethora of changes. Since its nascency in 2007, founders Michael Lashomb and Bradley Hester have led the band, and their newest album, Sun At Dawn, shows the band in a new light.
Beautiful & Figurative Storytelling
Sun At Dawn is a story that takes place in a tropical setting, yet it provokes much deeper thought than the sound that it embellishes. It tells a story of love and loss, and lust and gluttony, all over surf jam-rock instrumentation. An oxymoronic approach to a concept album is nothing particularly new or innovative to music at all, but it takes a certain level of mastery to execute it in a mature manner. Additionally, over what is essentially a beach playlist, this approach may be hard to execute. One can go the easy route and make an entire album over summer beach jams. However, with only a few minor criticisms to the album, Annie in the Water does an excellent job creating an invigorating piece of art.
The album starts with “Bloom,” leading with an intoxicating synthesizer and warm guitar progression that immediately hypnotize the listener. In a way, the song feels kaleidoscopic. The instruments work off of each other beautifully and transport you to a tropical setting. This is a skill that Annie in the Water demonstrates throughout the whole album, including “In The Sand,” a song about being lost in the desert.
Lyrics read “I’ve arrived it seems, but nothing here is green, no rain just shine, no roads in sight, to lead me to the land, I’ve yet to find.” They continue: “I’m lost in my plan, burning up in the desert sunset, pull the map out of the sand, although there’s nothing written there.” While these lyrics articulate and describe the situation our protagonist is in, the feeling extracted from the song would be nothing without the instrumentation’s ability to complete the story. The key the instruments work in completes the deserted feeling the protagonist feels. The guitar feels sandy and the sporadicalness of the keys adds a layer of confusion. On the other hand, the percussion and bass add the perfect amount of bounce to maintain an oxymoronic element of stoke in such a depressing song. “In The Sand” is a song about feeling lost after losing a partner you care deeply for, and it is a beautiful way to articulate this emotion.
Another song that transports the listener and contemplates an oxymoron is “Water.” Like the previous song, this song is also about losing a partner. The lead singer feels that their ex-partner is omnipresent and they feel an incredible, insatiable lust for them. They know, however, that they can never go back to them, and while this fact is never explicitly stated in the lyrics, the instrumentation communicates an entirely different story.
This song, a step away from the tropic jams on this album, also makes beautiful use of the mark tree. In every verse, the lyrics start off incredibly abstract, drawing metaphors to the rain and the moon when speaking about this person. As the verse progresses though, the lyrics get more and more real, at which point the singer eventually breaks and confesses that their former lover moved to California, a far detour from the Upstate New York-based band. At the end of each verse, however, the mark tree melodically transports both the listener and the protagonist back to a dream-like state, where they can feel free to live in the fantasy with this partner. Sounds of pouring water also play at the end of the song, suggesting this person will always be a part of this person.
Jam Bands Jam
As stated earlier, a major feat of the band is the ability to bounce their instruments off of each other. “Lights Up,” for instance, begins with a feeling of slight dissonance between the instruments. This is totally intentional; the instruments follow the same time signature, there is just a slight air in between them. Without even realizing it though, the instruments were jamming together in perfect unison. Notably, the instrumentalists seem like they are enjoying themselves and that joy is contagious for the listener.
Similarly, “In The Sand” ends in a beautiful cacophony of jam rock. The guitar solo reeks of swagger, sludge, and beautiful vibes. Accompanying it is a beautiful percussive beat and the two instrumentalists work off of each other in an infinitely excellent and masterful way. It is impossible to finish this song without bobbing your head.
Sun at Dawn definitely has a unique sound to it, however, this does not stop the listener from hearing some obvious influences, including the whammy guitar from “Seeds.” It sounds exactly like something Hendrix would have played, but Hendrix would have played better. The guitar of “Bloom,” on the other hand, doesn’t feel like a carbon copy. Instead, it more so pays a nod to Jimmy Page. In the same essence, “Water” draws a striking similarity to Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain.”
Now, every artist wears their influence on their sleeves from time to time. My only concern for Annie in the Water is that, even though this album displays incredible personality, whether or not that personality is distinct to the album only and not the band. Additionally, throughout the album, the presence of synthesizers, for the most part, at the very least add something of value, although on a song like “Water,” an incredibly introspective song about long-lost love, can be heavy at times.
Overall, Sun At Dawn is an excellent album with some minor flaws. The band’s contagious and figurative instrumentation alongside introspective lyricism makes for an enjoyable seven-track run. Sun At Dawn is available on Spotify and Apple Music now. For more information, check out their Facebook or Instagram.
Canadian death metal group Necronomicon will arrive in North America for a tour this Spring. They will co-headline with a fellow metal group, The Convalescence between April and June.
This musical journey will embark on April 29 in Kalamazoo, MI at Papa Pete’s and will move throughout the states, making a stop in Rochester Montage Music Hall on June 1. Necronomicon will perform their latest album “UNUS”, which can be streamed or downloaded here.
I think I don’t need to mention how hard these last years have been for everyone, and it’s about time that we get back to a healthy music scene. We are more than happy to be back in the U.S. We really hope you guys will come and support us as we bring you ‘Vivus Verum’ on this run. Hail to all of you.
Rob The Witch
The music group was founded in 1988 by guitarist and singer Rob “The Witch”. Since their first full length album “Pharoah of Gods” dropped in 2002, Necronomicon has evolved over time. In 2019, they became the second band ever since VOIVOD to receive a certificate of honor for over 30 years of being in the music industry.
“UNUS” is a dark and black metal album that brings about darkness, brutality and elegance all in one. Along with machine like drums there is a special feature by Geirlioz (Dimmu Borgir) on Piano in ”From Ashes Into Flesh”. Necronomicon cannot wait to put on the performance of a lifetime for their American fans.
NECRONOMICON (w/ The Convalescence): 04/29: Kalamazoo, MI @ Papa Pete’s 04/30: Toledo, OH @ Main Street Bar & Grill 05/01: Chicago, IL @ WC Social Club 05/02: Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon 05/03: St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall 05/04: Sioux Falls, SD @ Big’s Bar 05/05: Denver, CO @ The Venue 05/06: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Loading Dock 05/07: Boise, ID @ The Shredder 05/08: Spokane, WA @ The Big Dipper 05/09: Seattle, WA @ The Funhouse 05/10: Portland, OR @ Dante’s Theater 05/11: San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge 05/13: San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick 05/14: Scottsdale, AZ @ Pub Rock Live 05/15: Gallup, NM @ Juggernaut Music 05/16: El Paso, TX @ Rockhouse Bar & Grill 05/17: Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live 05/18: Dallas, TX @ Amplified Live 05/20: San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger 05/21: Houston, TX @ Acadia Bar & Grill 05/22: Crestview, FL @ Jimmy’s Jukebox 05/24: Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug 05/25: Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits 05/26: Winter Park, FL @ The Haven Lounge 05/27: Jonesboro, GA @ Furnace 41 05/28: Knoxville, TN @ The Concourse 05/29: Wilmington, DE @ Bar XIII 05/30: Worcester, MA @ Ralph’s Rock Diner 05/31: Portland, ME @ Geno’s Rock Club 06/01: Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall 06/02: Mechanicsburg, PA @ Lovedraft’s Brewing Co. 06/03: Fort Wayne, IN @ Rockstar Lounge 06/04: Chesterfield, MI @ Diesel Concert Lounge
After initially teasing their upcoming, self-titled seventh album with the single “Think,” Dopapod rides on an intergalactic groove on “Grow,” released on palindromic date of 2/20/22. With an intergalactic groove punctuated by a head-nodding bassline, “Grow” features all the staples of the Dopapod sound – slick guitar, simmering cymbals, and smooth vocals.
2019 found Dopapod performing select shows in Syracuse where the band assembled what would become Dopapod. But with music shut down in 2020 and into 2021, the band spent their time perfecting the music en route to a Spring 2022 release.
“Grow” captures Dopapod’s signature blending of styles and sonics. A deep groove and tight rhythm section grounds the song in a frantic funk territory, until the clouds part to usher in the epic heights of Dopapod’s frenzied psych/prog-rock wizardry. Soaring keys and synth lines crescendo as the song accelerates before returning to where it started, true to Dopapod’s palindromic existence. The group’s knack for dense, multi-layered suites across their material is a testament to their range of influences and styles, and their live show amplifies the momentum you hear on record. Each song is a journey of cosmic proportions.
The lyric ‘big things have small beginnings’ is from the movie Prometheus. Microscopic particles are the start of life. This is how we evolve. The song could be about a character time traveling back to the Big Bang.
Eli Winderman, on “Grow”
Dopapod is Eli Winderman [keys, vocals], Rob Compa [guitar, vocals], Chuck Jones [bass], and Neal “Fro” Evans [drums], a quartet who present albums as experiences meant to be shared out of your speakers and on stage. Traversing time travel, palindromic labyrinths, and binary pairs in a greater cohesive mystery, Dopapod’s forthcoming self-titled album ties the conceptual ends of the group’s discography, while charting a path forward.
“Grow” is about tackling binaries, and not letting failure distract you from sticking to the plan, and prioritizing your own growth. Organisms multiply and build. A seed overcomes the odds in its journey to becoming a billowing behemoth. The line borrowed from Ridley Scott’s Prometheus echoes throughout “Grow,” and shows that the band is as honed in as ever almost fifteen years into their journey.
