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Blues Brothers Celebrate 40th Anniversary at The Paramount

The Blues Brothers were founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, as lead vocalist Jake Blues, and harmonica player/vocalist Elwood Blues. The band was composed of well known musicians, and debuted as the musical guest on SNL on April 22, 1978.

That evening, Jake and Elwood opened the show performing “Hey Bartender” and later performed the Sam & Dave classic “Soul Man.” Later that year, they released their debut album, Briefcase Full of Blues, and opened for The Grateful Dead at the closing of the Winterland Arena in San Francisco. Their fame reached even further heights in 1980 when they released their own comedy film The Blues Brothers.

On March 5, 1982, Belushi died of an accidental overdose. After his death, updated versions of the Blues Brothers have performed on SNL and for charitable and political causes.

On May 4, 2022, Aykroyd, accompanied by Jim Belushi as Brother Zee Blues, played The Paramount in Huntington. They were backed by Belushi’s Sacred Hearts Band that still features some of the original members. There was no story line, but rather a full blown, highly energetic concert. Several audience members were dress head-to-toe in full Blues Brothers attire including the black suit, black shoes, white shirt, sunglasses and fedora.

When the duo took the stage, the crowd absolutely erupted. They started the show with a rip roaring version of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Shotgun Blues” followed by Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago.” Other songs included Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle” and Floyd Dixon’s “Hey Bartender.” During Muddy Waters “I’m Ready”, Belushi ventured into the crowd high fiving audience members as well as dancing with some of the female members of the audience.

The main set closed with their signature song, Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man.” The Brothers traded off on the lead vocals and the band really brought the house down. After a very brief break, they all returned to the stage for a two song encore, “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” and “Money (That’s What I Want).” Belushi encouraged any of the women in the crowd that wanted to come up on stage and dance to do so, and many obliged. When it was over, the duo walked slowly off the stage waving to the crowd as the audience erupted once again.

Setlist: Soul Finger (The Bar-Kays cover) Shotgun Blues (Sonny Boy Williamson cover) Sweet Home Chicago (Robert Johnson cover) Hard to Handle (Otis Redding cover) I’m Ready (Muddy Waters cover) Three Hundred Pounds of Joy (Howlin’ Wolf cover) Flip Flop and Fly (Big Joe Turner cover) 36-22-36 (Bobby Blue Band cover) Hey Bartender (Floyd Dixon cover) Rubber Biscuit (The Chips cover) Dig Myself a Hole (Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup cover) Land of 1000 Dances (Chris Kenner cover) Grits Ain’t Groceries (Little Milton cover) I Got Everything I Need (Downchild Blues Band cover) Altar of Love (Imperial Crown cover) Polk Salad Annie (Tony Joe White cover) Driving Wheel (Roosevelt Sykes cover) You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Women (Carole King cover) Just A fool, She Caught the Katyand Left Me a Mule to Ride (Taj Mahal cover) Soul Man (Sam & Dave cover) Chicken Shack (Jimmy Smith cover)

Encore: Everybody Needs Somebody to Love( Solomon Burke cover) Money(That’s What I Want) (Barrett Strong cover) Skybox Outro

May 11, 2022
DiscOasis Will Open On June 16th In Central Park

On Thursday, June 16th, DiscOasis, presented by Nile Rodgers, will open at the Wollman Rink in Central Park. The event will offer exciting evening skate times & programs featuring theatrical performances with an array of live DJs, artists, and special guests. It will also be open throughout the day for daytime skating.

Nighttime performances at the DiscOasis will have music curated by the Grammy-award-winning “Groovemaster,” Nile Rodgers. The experience will include unique art, tantalizing lights, exceptional music and dance, and occasional live performances. DiscOasis hopes that its theatrical experience will promote inclusiveness and positivity in the community.

When DiscOasis was in Los Angeles last year, The Los Angeles Times had this to say:

The DiscOasis is a pop-up roller-skating experience like no other. The second you step onto the grounds… the energy of the party envelops you
Siena Giljum

Tickets are on sale beginning May 10th at 11 AM. Skating sessions will be available from 10 AM to 10 PM on Wednesdays through Sundays from June 16th till October 1st. Skates will cost ten dollars to rent. However, those who already own a pair of skates are welcome to bring them, free of charge. For tickets and more information, visit thediscoasis.com.

May 11, 2022
Spoon Play Hammerstein Ballroom with Margaret Glaspy and Dan Boekner of Wolf Parade

Spoon finally played their twice-delayed Hammerstein Ballroom show on Friday, May 6 with support from Margaret Glaspy. Fans came in shaking off their umbrellas and raincoats, damp from the rainy Friday night, but buzzing as the venue filled up.

Spoon at Hammerstein Ballroom, photographed by David Reichmann

The lights dimmed before Margaret Glaspy took the stage to cheers and smiles. Fans listened, enraptured, as she played through her set.

Margaret Glaspy at Hammerstein Ballroom, photographed by David Reichmann

Spoon played an energetic and jam-packed 16 song setlist. Their set included some personal and fan favorites, “The Underdog” and “I Turn My Camera On” as well as several tracks off their latest album, “Lucifer on the Sofa.” They ended their main set with “Wild.” They left the stage, the lights dimmed again, and the crowd cheered for more.

Spoon at Hammerstein Ballroom, photographed by David Reichmann

The lights finally came back on, and Spoon started their encore with a cover of John Lennon’s “Isolation.” Then they played “The Mystery Zone.” Next they brought Margaret Glaspy on stage for a cover of Richard & Linda Thompson’s “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6DV3xFkcFw&list=PLIVq5zNeLC7hM0mJsUtz2ELqw_EGA83Ct&index=19

Finally, Wolf Parade’s Dan Boekner joined Spoon onstage to a boom of cheers and applause for a cover of Wolf Parade’s “Modern World.” He helped Spoon conclude the night with “Rent I Pay.” They thanked the audience and exited to cheers.

https://youtu.be/IodZaCWs_V4
Spoon & Dan Boekner, video: Ironchefwong on YouTube

Follow Spoon’s ongoing tour and listen to their latest album, Lucifer on the Sofa. Check out Margaret Glaspy’s music and listen to Wolf Parade here.

Photographed by David Reichmann

May 10, 2022
The Rock and Roll Circus Art Show Comes to Hudson

Since the 1960s, the worlds of art and rock music have been joined at the hip. Now some of the finest art inspired by rock music, and much of it created by musicians themselves, has come to Hudson in a new gallery show, The Rock and Roll Circus.

The exhibition is the brainchild of gallerist/musician Luis Accorsi and his wife, Haleh, who relocated from NYC to Hudson a couple of years back to open The New Gallery. An art dealer since 1988, the Venezuela- born Accorsi may be best known for his efforts to breakout some of the NYC’s now world-renowned graffiti artists. The list of artist he championed includes Keith Haring, Crash, Futura and LA 2, whose wildly colorful Fender Stratocaster is a centerpiece of the exhibit.

“This exhibition is circled around the notion that music and the visual arts are often intertwined and never far from each other,” says Accorsi. “In a song, there’s a story and that story becomes a visual reference for us – all in a quest for the pure and the sublime. All of the artists in this show have an interdisciplinary approach to life. They all stand against the fossilized notion that an artist can only be a great artist in one discipline. And this work certainly demonstrates their position.”

The New Gallery’s latest exhibit includes 38 works in total, from photography, sculpture, painting and poster art to fashion illustration, collage, animation cels and even sheet music.

Highlights include a lithograph of a Wes Wilson poster made for a performance by Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable with the Velvet Underground and Nico at the Fillmore in San Francisco, one signed by Warhol himself. There’s also an original poster from Jimi Hendrix’s legendary New Year’s performance with his Band of Gypsies at the Fillmore East and a unique, uncut 2-up poster by Rick Griffin for a Hendrix performance at Royal Albert Hall.

Also showcased and available for purchase are limited edition prints from several famous photographers. These include Francesco Scavullo’s 1969 portrait of Janis Joplin, lithographs of Richard Avedon’s psychedelicized, individual portraits of The Beatles shot for Look Magazine in 1967, a Harvey Wang’s stage shot of Klaus Nomi, a Robin Rice performance snap of Patti Smith circa 1979 and Christophe Von Hohenberg portraits of Britney Spears and Debbie Harry, the latter taken at Andy Warhol’s memorial in 1987. Hudson’s own music notable, Melissa Auf Def Maur, is represented with a self-portrait shot while performing in Capetown, South Africa with The Smashing Pumpkins in 2000. Beatles’ fanatics will want to peruse the original animation cels from their 1968 film, Yellow Submarine, featured in the New Gallery’s collection.

Ramones’ devotees will be stopped dead in their tracks by Punk Magazine co-founder John Holmstrom’s pen and ink study for the cover art for their Rockets to Russia album. Even more incredible (and unsettling!) is Dee Dee Ramones’ “Horror Hospital,” an acrylic and silk screen on canvas painting of someone getting a lobotomy… with an ice pick! Famed director and sometime musician Jim Jarmusch is here with a 2021 collage of two guitarists in performance, while Beacon-based Richard Butler, the front man of The Psychedelic Furs, showcases a dramatic 2005 painting of fashion model-turned-victims advocate Marla Hanson. Also included are works from Mark and Paul Kostabi, producer/engineer Marc Urselli, djs Dmitry Wild and Mark Prosser, Alvaro Segura, Fernando Batoni, Tom McGill, Stella McNicol, fashion designer Stephen Sprouse and a page from a score by composer John Cage. Prices begin at $400 and run to $10,000+.

Like the musicians themselves who dabble in art, gallerist Accorsi is also busy with his latest musical project, the old school NYC punk-inspired Toxic Tito. Check out his latest video shot at Catskill’s Avalon Lounge, “I Don’t Like You,”

The Rock and Roll Circus Art Show will be on exhibit through June 5^th at The New Gallery, 610 Warren Street in Hudson.

May 10, 2022
Flushing Town Hall Announces Global Mash-Up Series

Flushing Town Hall has announced the Summer 2022 run of their popular “Common Ground : Mini-Global Mashups” series. There will be one show per month, starting May 17 and continuing until August 21.

Performers L to R: Cillian Vallely, Samir Langus, Yungchen Lhamo, Martin Vejarano, Joshua Nelson, Vado Diomande

Curated by trumpeter and Composer Frank London, the concert series will feature performances from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Each performance will combine elements of different cultures to create a unique experience.

The summer series will kick off May 15, with a collaboration between Irish piper Cillian Vallely & Gnawa master Samir LanGus. They will be accompanied by Brooklyn native and multi-instrumentalist Matt Mancuso. “Ireland Meets Morocco” brings together three decorated musicians for a night of inspired entertainment.

“Tibet Meets Colombia” will feature Tibetan singer Yungchen Lhamo and Colombian artist Martín Vejarano, accompanied by guitarist Jorge Iván “Tito” Duarte. Lhamo’s calming voice will promote healing and relaxation as Vejarano’s traditional Colombian background provides a well built foundation.

“Gospel Meets Côte d’Ivoire” showcases the musical talent of American gospel singer Joshua Nelson and Ivory Coast traditional dance and drum master Vado Diomande. On July 24, Nelson’s focus on Jewish Gospel will meet Diomande’s vast knowledge of African dance and drumming tradition.

“Ukraine Meets Cuba” will close out the series on August 21, with a performance from Ukrainian bandura (Ukrainian lute/harp) master Julian Kytasty and Cuban artists Danae Blanco and Juan Carlos Formal. Although the individual regions seem very different, they will come together in a smooth appreciation for all walks of life.

More information, as well as tickets, can be found here. The performances will also be live streamed on the Flushing Town Hall’s youtube channel.

May 10, 2022
“The Bay Strikes Back Tour” with Testament, Exodus and Death Angel play to sold out Town Ballroom

On Friday May 6th 2022, Testament brought their “The Bay Strikes Back Tour” to Town Ballroom in Buffalo. The tour features Death Angel and Exodus as support for Testament. This show was originally scheduled for a different date last year but had to be rescheduled because of Covid-19. Testament has not played New York in many years, but that has now changed.

Death Angel

Vocals-Mark Osegueda. Photo credit-Mike Miller

Death Angel is an American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. Death Angel has released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone through several line-up changes, leaving guitarist Rob Cavestany as the only constant member; he and vocalist Mark Osegueda (who joined the group in 1984) are the only members of Death Angel to appear on all of their studio albums.

Death Angel is often referred to as one of the key bands in the Bay Area thrash metal movement of the 1980s, and secured opening slots at club venues in that decade, including opening for their peers Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, Testament and Overkill.

Setlist: The Ultra-Violence, Evil Priest, Voracious Souls, Seemingly Endless Time, Claws in so Deep, The Dream Calls for Blood, The Moth, Humanicide and Thrown to the Wolves.

Photos by Mike Miller

Exodus

Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1979 in Richmond, California. Their current lineup consists of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, bassist Jack Gibson, drummer Tom Hunting, and lead vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza. There are no original members left in Exodus other than Hunting, who has departed from the band twice, in 1989 and 2004, but rejoined in 2007. Exodus is also notable for its inclusion of guitarist Kirk Hammett in its initial lineup; he eventually left the band in 1983 to join Metallica as Dave Mustaine’s replacement.

Vocals-Steve “Zetro” Souza. Photo Credit-Mike Miller

Setlist: The beatings Will Continue, A Lesson in Violence, Blood in, Blood Out, The Years of Death and Dying, Deathamphetamine, Blacklist, Prescribing Horror, Bonded by Blood, The Toxic Waltz, and Strike of the Beast.

Photos by Mike Miller

Testament

Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983 under the name Legacy, the band’s current lineup comprises rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson, lead vocalist Chuck Billy, lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist Steve Di Giorgio and drummer Dave Lombardo (formerly in Slayer).

Bassist- Steve Di Giorgio. Photo Credit-Mike Miller

Testament has experienced many lineup changes over the years, with Peterson being the only remaining original member, though they have since been rejoined by one of its songwriters Skolnick, who was out of the band from 1992 to 2005. Billy has been a member of Testament since 1986, when he replaced original singer Steve “Zetro” Souza, who had joined Exodus as the replacement of Paul Baloff. He and Peterson are the only members to appear on all of Testament’s studio albums, with the latter being the only constant member overall.

Testament’s fan base is mostly older fans, but the younger generation was peppered in the crowd for The Bay Strikes Back Tour. Their set featured 14 songs for the sold-out crowd. Playing such hits as “Children of the Next Level”, “Eyes of Wrath” and “Disciples of the Watch”. Their stage show used co2 air blasts, and arena LED stage lighting with strobes that was changing colors often.

Drummer Dave Lombardo sat atop his high rise drum platform hidden from camera and the crowd but with his playing technique he sits really low on his drum throne so it is hard to get a glimpse of him. There were many mosh pits happening and crowd surfing all night. The fans really enjoyed the show because they needed a way to release their stress from the current world situation happening. Parking was cheap, drinks were cold and cheap, and fun was had by everyone the whole night.

Setlist: Children of the Next Level, The Pale King, Practice What You Preach, The New Order, WWII, Eyes of Wrath, D.N.R, Legions of the Dead, Electric Crown, Souls of Black, Night of the Witch, Over the Wall, Into the Pit and Disciples of the Watch.

Photos by Mike Miller

Upcoming Testament shows

Sept. 9 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Van Buren
Sept. 10 – Albuquerque, N.M. @ Sunshine Theater
Sept. 12 – Wichita, Kan. @ Cotillion
Sept. 13 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Truman
Sept. 15 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Pageant
Sept. 16 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Brooklyn Bowl
Sept. 18 – St. Petersburg, Fla. @ Jannus Live
Sept. 19 – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. @ Revolution
Sept. 21 – Asheville, N.C. @ Orange Peel
Sept. 22 – Silver Spring, Md. @ Fillmore
Sept. 23 – Stroudsburg, Pa. @ Sherman Theater
Sept. 26 – Hartford, Ct. @ Webster Theater
Sept. 27 – Albany, N.Y. @ Empire Live
Sept. 28 – Portland, Maine @ State Theatre
Sept. 30 – Montreal, Quebec @ Mtelus
Oct. 1 – London, Ontario @ London Music Hall
Oct. 3 – Ft. Wayne, Ind. @ Piere’s
Oct. 4 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ The Rave
Oct. 6 – Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Burton Cummings Theatre
Oct. 8 – Calgary, Alberta @ Palace Theatre
Oct. 10 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Commodore
Oct. 12 – Ventura, Calif. @ Majestic Ventura Theater
Oct. 13 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Wiltern
Oct. 14 – Reno, Nev. @ Cargo
Oct. 15 – San Jose, Calif. @ San Jose Civic

May 9, 2022
Hearing Aide: Jake Huffman’s Debut EP “Adderall & Whiskey”

Jake Huffman’s debut EP Adderall & Whiskey was released in April 2022. Huffman views the release of this EP as one of his proudest triumphs as an artist, with each song written about a different moment from his past and arranged chronologically.

As stated in an interview with NYS Music, Adderall & Whiskey is inspired by his early 20’s. Lyrically, he writes about the story of the rise and fall of love along with experiencing life in a rock band. Two songs – “Giving it a Try” and “Just a Little More” – preview the intensity of Huffman’s newest project.

As mentioned in a profile in Relix, Huffman said, “Over the last few years, mostly in isolation, I was forced to look inward and found creative inspiration in the process. I always tell aspiring songwriters that the best songs are honest, simple and specific. “Giving it a Try” is my way of practicing what I preach. I took my own emotional arc of living with so much uncertainty in the world and produced and engineered the song myself from my home studio.”

Jake releases his first solo song “Giving It A Try,” a preview of his full EP

The two songs “Giving “it a Try” and “Just a Little More” are two emotional yet comforting pieces. Huffman goes from drums to keys to guitar all while communicating to an audience with deeply personal lyrics and stony vocals. Jake has managed to create a sound with the uniqueness of Arcade Fire, the drive of Tom Petty, and the honesty of Death Cab For Cutie

Tour dates:

May 19 – State House, New Haven CT
May 20 – Mercury Lounge, NYC
June 24 – Richmond VA, Richmond Music Hall
June 25 – Washington DC, Pearl Street Warehouse
August 26 – Burlington VT, Foam Brewers

Get tickets for the Mercury Lounge show on May 20th here, located on the Lower East Side of NYC.

May 9, 2022
Eastbound Throwdown 2022 Lineup Announced

Eastbound Jesus & Guthrie/Bell Productions have announced the lineup for the 2022 installment of the Eastbound Throwdown, planned for September 9-10 on Irwin Farm in Salem, NY.

Friday’s Lineup includes host-band Eastbound Jesus, The Mallett Brothers Band, Folkfaces, Muddy Ruckus, and Ginger Roots. Saturday features Cabinet, Saints & Liars, Deadgrass & Friends, The Honey Smugglers, Steadman’s Landing, Wild Leek River, Dan Johnson, The Button Men, Turf ‘n’ Turf and two more sets from Eastbound Jesus.

Weekend Passes (include camping) have been on sale since April 1st and are already more than half sold out. Last year’s festival sold out well in advance and organizers anticipate the same this year. Tickets are available here.

Eastbound Throwdown 2022 is an all-ages event with children 15 and under free to enter. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

May 9, 2022
In Focus: Eli Young Band at Sharkeys Bar + Grill

Eli Young Band kicked up some dust bringing their Love Talking Tour to Sharkey’s in Syracuse. The multi-platinum country four man band sang their number one hits from the past two decades and fans also got to enjoy their brand new single, “Break Up In a Bar.” In addition the song will be featured on the bands sixth upcoming studio album, Love Talking, set to release on June 3, 2022.

Eli Young Band at Sharkey’s Bar + Grill in Liverpool. Photo by Allison Marie.

The Denton, Texas band was formed while members attended college together and is composed by Mike Eli (lead singer, guitar), Jon Jones (bass guitar), James Young (guitar) and Chris Thompson (drummer).

Lead singer Mike Eli. Photo by Allison Marie.

Whether you’re a crazy girl or you got a little drunk that night, the Eli Young Band always delivers all the love songs. Energy radiated from the stage and was felt by the crowd as they sang and danced the night away. One of the most notable performances of the evening was their cover of “Come Together” by the Beatles. After two hours of relentless hits the band closed the show out with a personal favorite of mine, Guinevere.

You can learn more about the Eli Young Band on their website.

Eli Young Band. Photo by Allison Marie.

Setlist: Drunk Last Night, Break Up In a Bar, Where Were You, Always The Love Songs, Love Talking, Skeletons, Skin & Bones, When It Rains, Medley, Lucky For Me, Dust, Even If It Breaks Your Heart, Come Together (the Beatles), Saltwater Gospel, Love Ain’t, Crazy Girl, Guinevere.

Love Talking Tour 2022 Tour Dates

May 13 – Fayetteville, AK – Georgies Majestic Lounge
May 14 – Meridian, MS – Meridian City Hall
May 19 – Denton, TX – The Dive
May 20 – Helotes, TX – John Floore Country Store
May 21 – Amarillo, TX – Starlight Ranch
May 27 – Caney, KS – Fourth & Live
May 28 – Austin, TX – Lonestar Jam
June 2 – Dewey Beach, DE – Bottle & Cork
June 3 – Washington, D.C. – The Bullpen
June 4 – Angola, IN – Eclectic Room
June 9 – Fort Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre
June 10 – Kamas, UT – Dejoria Center
June 11 – Burley, ID – King Fine Arts Center
June 17 – New Braunfels, TX – Whitewater Amp
June 18 – El Campo, TX – Greek Bros
June 22 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up
June 25 – Sante Fe, NM – Hilton Buffalo Thunder

May 9, 2022
Eddies Music Hall of Fame To Induct 8 Capital Region Legends

The Eddies Music Hall of Fame has announced its 2022 class, featuring eight legends of the Capital District music scene.

Universal Preservation Hall. (Jenn March, Special to the Times Union).

The group will be inducted at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 7 at Universal Preservation Hall.

Eddies Music Hall of Fame founder Jim Murphy spoke in a statement, expressing how excited he is to induct this new class.

This class truly represents the breadth of the region’s music scene. In artists we have everything from roots to rock to ambient music and on the industry side, a much-heralded music producer, two journalists, a radio station founder, and a promoter. Several of these individuals plied more than one trade within the music business.

The ceremony will feature live music, videos about each inductee, and acceptance speeches. Each inductee will get their plaque too.

The 2022 class joins a group of 16 previous inductees that includes 1930s and 40s pop music sensations Bob and Ray Eberle, folk/Celtic artist Kevin McKrell, and John Sykes, cofounder of MTV and current chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and many more.

The Inductees

Sara Ayers

Sara Ayers is a vocalist-composer, with a catalogue of eight works and also has appeared on dozens of compilations. Her and her husband Greg Haymes launched the online publication Nippertown in 2009.

Greg Bell

Greg Bell has had a serious impact on the Albany music scene. He has produced more than 2,500 shows and established the city as a major jam band tour stop. He also taught special education for 26 years. He joined forces with Jeff Guthrie in 1993, forming Guthrie/Bell Productions.

Brooks Brown

Brooks Brown moved to Manchester, VT in the late 1970s from Houston and noticed the lack of a radio station. He created WEQX, which broadcasts new music to southern Vermont, New Hampshire, western Massachusetts and New York’s Capital Region.

Michael Eck.

Albany-native Michael Eck is full of all sorts of musical talent. He is a nationally recognized cultural critic and guitar brand editor, a concert/radio/album producer, publicist, painter, bouncer, roadie, record store clerk, and much more.

Joel Moss

Joel Moss has worked as a record producer, sound engineer, and mixer for Little Richard, Ray Charles, Elton John, The Beach Boys, and more. He engineered sound for over 200 movies and helped produce many Broadway cast albums. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, seven Grammys, and two Emmy nominations. Today he is a broadcast sound and camera technician at Cafe Lena in Saratoga.

Greg Haymes

Greg Haymes was the frontman and percussionist in 2020 Eddies Music Hall of Fame inductee Blotto and was a member of The Star-Spangled Washboard Band and the Ramblin Jug Stompers. He was a newspaper journalist, and with his wife, Sara Ayers launched the online publication Nippertown in 2009.

Rich Ortiz

Rich Ortiz is an acoustic solo act, who plays six- and twelve-string guitar, harmonica, and pedal bass. He has released two albums and opened for Chicago, REO Speedwagon, and more. When not performing, Ortiz is competing professionally in fishing tournaments.

Super 400

Super 400 is made up of drummer Joe Daley, guitarist Kenny Hohman, and bassist Lori Friday. The Troy-based trio formed in 1996 and their self-titled debut was released on Island Records two years later. They have toured internationally, and Troy’s mayor even declared February 25 as “Super 400 Day.” They opened Troy Music Academy in 2011 and have scored music for many TV shows.

May 9, 2022

Built in Breakdance