From Paris to New York City, Lizzy Young emerged to the scene in 2020 with her debut CooCoo Banana, a visual album of 10 tracks confronting mortality. In celebration of the upcoming release of her song Not that Bad, Lizzy has just unveiled a new video for the track “Everything is Beautiful.”
Lizzy explains, “Everything is Beautiful reflects the intangible in life, the little things we overlook and the big things we take for granted.”
Lizzy’s second album is centered around the experiences of women; “This album is my love letter to everyone who identifies as a woman. I find it complicated to be a woman, even in 2022, and I need to talk about what I know best.”
Not That Bad is not only an empowering tribute to women, it is also an album that at times captures the heady pulse of a night out; “something that people would want to play in a sweaty club,” she says. “A little different from what I’ve been hearing the last couple of years. Something that fits the times: dark, groovy, slightly funny, and a little apocalyptic.”
Work on this album began back in 2020, but then Young ended up at a friend’s farm for 6 months. “I barely took anything with me and wasn’t able to record until getting back to Brooklyn,” she says. “I wanted this album to be a Brooklyn baby and after finishing the demos I looked for someone local to work with to make it spicier.”
The opener “Cigarettes are good for Pain,” Young marries wonky pop with a charging techno beat, while the following “Shit Never Stops” takes a turn with snapping trap beats and merges them with subtle melodies. Young’s inimitable vocals are slow, considered, breathy.
To Listen to “Everything Is Beautiful,” click the link here.
Alternative rock band American Authors will be back on the road for the new year. The band has just announced a full US headline tour this winter, titled the “Best Night Of My Life Tour” featuring Billy Raffoul. The month-long tour kicks off on February 10th in Fairfield, then makes a stop in New York City February 12th at the new venue in Chelsea, Racket.
Frontman Zac Barnett shares about the tour: “It’s been so long since we’ve done a proper tour, we’re pulling out all the stops on this one! Playing all your favorite American Authors songs from the past, new jams from our upcoming album, & who knows, maybe even some requests & cover songs. Oh ya, & there might be some special collaborations with our good friend Billy Rafoul who will be opening the shows every night too.”
Since releasing their debut album Oh, What a Life in 2014, pop-rock outfit American Authors have experienced milestones most bands only dream about. Their anthemic hit single “Best Day of My Life” has been featured in over 600 movie trailers, TV shows, commercials, and as a theme song for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite this, lead singer Zac Barnett states, “We just want to keep going. We can’t wait to continue this adventure.”
Earlier this year, the American Authors pushed their limits with six different versions of their new single “Blind For Love.” They even recently released a brand new music video for this track. They’ve also been getting into the holiday spirit with the festive “Christmas Karaoke” and “Sleigh Ride.”
Fans can look forward to more new music soon, as the band gears up to release a new album in early 2023.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
12/29 – Bombay, India @ Mood Indigo
1/23-1/28 – Miami, FL @ Rock Boat XXII
2/10 – Fairfield, CT @ The Warehouse
2/15 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Elevation 27
2/16 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
2/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
2/18 – New York, NY @ Racket
2/19 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
2/21 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall
2/23 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
2/24 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Café
2/25 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
2/26 – St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
2/28 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theater
3/2 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
3/3 – Las Vegas, NV @ Rocks Lounge
3/5 – Phoenix, AZ @ Last Exit Live
3/4 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues (Parish)
3/7 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up
3/8 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
3/9 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
3/11 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
3/12 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
For more information on upcoming news and events from the American Authors, click the link here.
On Saturday, December 10 at the Broome County Forum Theatre, Maestro Daniel Hege led the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra in “Winter Wonderland,” a holiday pops concert with a host of special guests.
Along with the big man himself (Santa Claus), the orchestra was joined by 11 year-old treble soloist Luca Thomas and a quartet of resident artists from Binghamton’s Tri-Cities Opera (Gina Moscato, soprano; Janine Dworin, mezzo-soprano; Felix Aguilar Tomlinson, tenor; Bernardo Medeiros, baritone). Nancy Wildoner’s charming pre-concert holiday bonbons, played on the Theatre’s 1922 Robert-Morton Pipe Organ, set the stage.
Winter Wonderland might have been a typical holiday pops concert, except that much of the program was focused on holiday film music. John Williams’ Home Alone II (with “Merry Christmas” sung by the opera guests), Alan Silvestri’s The Polar Express, and Danny Elfman’s Nightmare Before Christmas (a strange mashup of Klezmer music and Dies irae from the Requiem Mass) all led up to the afternoon’s highlight: Howard Blake’s The Snowman, complete with film screening and a stunning “Walking in the Air” by Luca Thomas.
The joyful concert concluded with some audience participation: a clapalong Radetzky March and a singalong set of Christmas carols.
The Binghamton Philharmonic’s season continues on January 28 with “Wallenberg Festival,” a concert celebrating Binghamton’s three orchestras: the Binghamton Youth Symphony, the Binghamton Community Orchestra, and the Binghamton Philharmonic. For more information, visit binghamtonphilharmonic.org.
Capital District drummer/composer Joe Barna hails from Troy and has become the face of the Collar City Jazz scene in the past few years. Having studied orchestral percussion performance/education at SCCC, then later SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Music in Westchester, Barna earned a BFA in Jazz Studies in 2004, with a focus on drumset performance & composition.
Since then, Barna has devoted himself to a life of composing and performing, bringing his talents around the globe, sharing the stage with many of the worlds top musicians/groups including The Celtic Tenors, Gary Smulyan, Peter Fisher, Ralph Lalama and jazz recording artists Joe Magnarelli, Ray Vega, Grant Stewart, Dick Oatts, Jim Rotondi, Jon Gordon, Jerry Weldon, Josh Evans, & Stacy Dillard.
Joe has performed with many of the Empire State’s regional greats, including Keith Pray, Brian Patneaude, John Menegon, Lee Shaw, David Gleason, Mark Kleinhaut, Michael Louis Smith, George Muscatello, Lee & Leo Russo, The Joey Thomas Band, The Big Soul Ensemble and his own original group Sketches Of Influence. Barna spoke with Rob Smittix of The Xperience Monthly.
Rob Smittix: Well, it’s nice to finally talk to the man behind the jazz scene.
Joe Barna: I would say I’m the man in front of the jazz scene.
RS: That’s a better way to put it, yeah.
JB: I think everybody knows, the cat’s out of the bag.
RS: It is and you are really bringing jazz to Troy in particular, how’s that going for you? What do you think the response has been?
JB: The response is overwhelming. I just did a what was originally a four-day but turned into a five-day jazz festival at 518 Craft in Troy. They basically wanted to honor me for all of the work that I’ve done for the jazz scene in Troy, so they gave me five nights in a row. They wanted me to have five different bands featuring five different styles of jazz. The first four nights were standing room only, it was packed in there. Every night was insane.
RS: That’s great. How did this all get started?
JB: I lived in NYC and went to SUNY Purchase. I was living in Manhattan and I was working a small jazz club. I was the front end manager of Mezzrow. Every night I was hanging out with the elites of the history of jazz. I was responsible for taking care of them when they were performing, making sure that they got paid correctly, making sure they got drinks, making sure the stages were set up for them, they had the backline they needed and made sure nobody was bothering them. So, I became friends with essentially the top jazz musicians in the world and I did this every night. Befriended them, got to play with a lot of them in jam sessions. It became a network and more about building relationships than the fact that we were musicians. It has allowed me an opportunity that very few people in the Capital Region or smaller areas have had. It’s because of the proximity to NYC, not because I’m special but because I know other guys are doing this but they live in Idaho or Nebraska or they live in Florida. They don’t have the access to these musicians where they can drive in their car last minute and come up two and a half hours to play.
RS: That makes a lot of sense.
JB: The proximity to these people, the city and the five boroughs has opened up a floodgate of opportunities for me. I don’t think anybody outside of maybe Nick Brignola or a couple of his contemporaries. It’s given me an opportunity to do some special things.
RS: Speaking of special opportunities, tell us about what you have going on at Alias Coffee.
JB: Alias Coffee Company is at 219 4th Street in Troy. It’s this little tiny coffee shop, right? This gentleman, Hernan, moved up here from NYC is a master barista. He was serving coffee out of 518 Craft, where I play every Monday night. He wanted his own shop and space, so he left, and he started building up this spot. I went in one day to try the coffee and just say hi, it’s like the size of a closet. You’ve got this little counter, little shop with a couple of chairs and off to the left is this tiny little kitchen area. I got talking to him, I tried the coffee, which is amazing, it’s like velvet in your mouth. The guy is a genius.
RS: I’m drinking Stewart’s right now, but you’ve got my mouth watering.
JB: No man… you won’t go back after you’ve had Alias. So, in this little corridor it looks like there’s a maintenance closet where you would have mops and buckets and crap. I open up the door and it opens up into this enormous, industrial wide-open space. No posts, no poles, no obstructions and there’s two skylights. I walked in and I said, “oh, my God!” I’ve been looking for this space for 20 years. I asked Hernan, “is this yours?” He said “yeah, yeah I rent the whole building.” I said, “do you understand what you have here?” He replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said “Hernan this is a bonafide world-class level performance space. You’ve got the potential for one of the greatest performance spaces the Capital Region has ever had.” He said, “do you really believe that?” I said, “not only do I believe it, I will take on the task of doing it for you.” He said “well, if you’re willing to help me, I’m willing to do it. I was looking for something special to do with the space, but I just didn’t know what to do with it.” I said “look man, I will do it myself, I will help you clean it, I will organize the space for you, I will get a carpenter to build the stage and let’s get a grand piano in here. This will be the premiere music space in the Capital Region.” Mark my words.
RS: That’s encouraging.
JB: I’m not saying that other spaces aren’t fantastic but there’s something about this room that when you walk in, you don’t want to walk out. It’s bizarre. The exposed brick, the concrete floor, the two skylights with sunlight or moonlight coming in, it’s wide open and the sound is absolutely impeccable. I said, “please don’t do anything to the room, the sound right now is a performers dream come true. Don’t mess with it, it’s EQ’d perfectly. There’s very little high, there’s a lot of warm lows and some mids but the highs get sucked up by the wooden ceiling. This is going to be my project, let me do this for you.” I already did one show there, we had a soft opening last month. We only had about two weeks to advertise it and had about 54 people there. They all paid $20 to come in. I put out a buffet of food. People donated and my friends were helping subsidize it. We had Defazio’s Pizza, my mother made these really nice artisan cookies, and we had a fully stocked bar. You’re paying for the performance, $20 towards the band and then you get everything else for free! Food, drink or whatever you want is on the house.
RS: You cannot beat that.
JB: As long as you come and support the music, you can have everything else for free. It’s on us.
On Wednesday, December 14th, Legacy Dumbo hosted Bronx Rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie for a fan meet and greet. Fans were admitted into the event only after purchasing A Boogie’s new album Me VS Myself on CD and waiting in the line of over 600 fans. The wait was a small price to pay for meeting a 23-time platinum artist. During the event, A Boogie was singing along to the music, dancing, and posing for pictures with every fan that entered the room.
A Boogie has one more stop on his record store tour at DBS Sounds in Atlanta. In February, the Bronx Rapper will start his two-month world tour, where on March 4th, he will stop at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to perform for his home city of New York.
Legacy Dumbo is no stranger to hosting top-tier celebrities like A Boogie. Just last week, they had producer Metro Boomin in the shop signing autographs for fans. Aside from being a celebrity hotspot, Legacy Records is a mellow place to shop for new and old records and, overall, have a great time. The store has multiple record players to test the product and a couch area to hang out and enjoy the music. It is always a good time at Legacy Dumbo.
The Waterhole in Saranac Lake will bring 12 different musical acts to the Upstairs Music Lounge from across the Northeast, keeping Winter Carnival-goers movin’ & groovin’, as the town celebrates the 126th annual Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.
The 2023 musical lineup at The Waterhole features fan favorites and pairs them up with unbelievably talented opening acts, a perfect compliment to the fun and activities during Winter Carnival.
The Waterhole Winter Carnival 2023 lineup
Annie in the Water will kick things off Friday February 3rd with high energy jams, funky tones, and chill vibes. The Reflexions will open the night with their blend of Reggae and Funk vibes with world music grooves.
With a larger-than-life stage presence, Saturday February 4th headliner, Underground System is a show not to be missed. This six-piece act hails from New York City, mixes dance club vibes with Afrobeat, Latin-style tunes and other musical themes from around the world. The group started in 2018 with a reimagining of Fela Kuti’s work, and grew into an internationally touring indie dance band. Expect flute, congas, sampling, and hypnotic, infectious grooves.
Midweek will feature a solo performance from Ryan Montbleu on Tuesday February 7th. Ryan will fill the music hall with his eloquent and soulful songwriting for which he is known for. Haley Jane will open the night with a solo performance of her own. Expect raw intensity and linguistic prowess. She has a deeply emotive and highly magnetizing presence that combines a diverse sound with Vaudevillian style story telling.
Wednesday Feb 8thDavid Sommerstein of NCPR will host a Beat Authority Dance Party! Listeners can expect a fresh, eclectic choice of dance music from all over the world. You may hear cumbia or bluegrass, afrobeat or jazz, it’ll keep your head a-noddin’ and your spirits up! Join in the groove and enjoy.
Thursday Feb 9th, The Frank White Experience brings things to a new level. Bringing the sounds of Notorious B.I.G with live instrumentation to your ears in a way never head before! FWE brings listeners on a journey back through the beloved soundscape of 1990’s hip hop.
Friday February 10th The Mallett Brothers Band will return from the deep woods of Maine on Friday 2/11. You can expect alternative country, grunge, with a side of beards and flannels. Partnered with them is Saints + Liars a Vermont-based Americana group, blending variants of honky-tonk, folk, bluegrass, and rock n’ roll.
Saturday the 11this sure to be the biggest dance party of the week! The post-parade party is free and will be led by Rose + The Bros. This 6-piece ensemble made their Saranac Lake debut in September 2022 at Northern Current: A Community Music Festival. Hailing from Ithaca, NY the band is rooted in southern dance tradition, with the addition of crooning vocal harmonies, and country music influence; listeners can expect distinctive rhythmic patterns based in a Louisiana sound, with additional reggae and melodic drum tones.
Later that same Saturday night, West End Blend will bring the FUNK + SOUL! Fronted by vocalist Erica Tracy Sullivan, WEB plays homage to classic throwback sounds while adding their own distinct vibe and flair. Behind her, the blend packs a four-piece horn section, two guitars bass, keyboards, and drums.
Party goers will not want to miss Chestnut Grove opening the night! The Pennsylvania-grown quintet has continued seeing its efforts bear fruit since it formed in Perkiomenville, Pa. in 2011, growing a dedicated fan base and a songbook filled with truly heartfelt, groove-worthy original work. And when it comes to their abilities to groove within the canon of classic rock greats, well, they ain’t slouches there, either.
And on Saturday the 12th, DiTrani Brothers will wrap things up with one final party! They hail from the woods of Vermont and play original songs from and about the dystopic present, ragtime and jazz tunes, the perfect complement to Bloody Mary Sunday.
The street level bar will be open every day of the week & boasts the largest selection of craft beer in the Blue Line. As you travel upstairs, you will find The Upstairs Music Lounge: a destination music venue. On the 2nd story there is a magnificent dance floor and a fully stocked bar. Make sure to keep going up and check out the 3rd story balcony. There you will find additional seating for when your dancing feet are tired, and a truly unbeatable birds-eye view of the stage & dance hall. Concert tickets are available for purchase on the Waterhole website www.saranaclakewaterhole.com and in person by stopping into the venue. Winter Carnival Week Passes will be offered for $82. This pass guarantees access to every single show. As always, the Waterhole is a 21+ venue.
A flocking good time was had in downtown Albany as two of the jam scenes hottest acts – Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Dogs in a Pile – teamed up for an unforgettable evening of ‘bird-dogging’ at Empire Live on Friday, December 9th. Packing out the venue and lighting up the crowd with a healthy dose of high energy funk, top-shelf improvisation, psychedelic dance grooves and plenty of good old-fashioned shredding, the evening also served as birthday celebration for Dogs’ keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong performing at Empire Live in Albany (12/9/22)
Flanked in tie dye and smothered in patchouli, fans flocked to the venue early enough to catch the opening act Dogs in a Pile. One of the most talked about up-and-coming bands around, 2022 has been a huge year for the young New Jersey quintet. Consisting of Jimmy Law and Brian Murray on guitars, Sam Lucid on bass, Joe Babick on drums and the Jeremy Kaplan on keys, the exciting group wasted no time showing everyone what all the buzz is about.
Dogs in a Pile performing at Empire Live in Albany (12/9/22)
Launching into the song “Look Johnny” and seamlessly transitioning into “Frosty” and “Fenway” before coming up for air, it was clear the Dogs were determined to make the most of their allotted time. Weaving together a tapestry of colorful sound with an undeniable charisma, Albany fans were then treated to the live debut of “Let U Go.” Rounding out the short, but impressive set was “G Song” followed by “Bent Strange,” but it wouldn’t be the last time we’d see members of the dog pound on stage this night.
The dogs were back in town on 12/9/22
After a brief break in the action, it was finally time for the long-awaited return of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong who had not played in Albany since March of 2019. Now celebrating 15 years as a band and touring in support of their sixth independent full-length album Perspective, some longtime fans could be heard reminiscing about seeing their first P4 show at the significantly smaller Red Square (now the Public Parish House) just down the block back in 2012. One of the most fan-friendly and hardest working bands going, their continued growth and popularity should come as a surprise to no one.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong performing at Empire Live in Albany (12/9/22)
Taking the stage and genuinely thanking everyone for coming out before even playing a single note, front man ‘Scrambled’ Greg Ormont was all smiles while giving his customary pre-show p-p-p-pep talk. Reassuring everyone that they were in for some serious fun, the party on North Pearl Street kicked off with “Porcupine” from the band’s 2017 album Pizazz. All warmed up and feeling good, things fell into place nicely when “Fall In Place” landed on a surprise Beatles cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” that boasted an absolutely gorgeous guitar solo from ax-man Jeremy Schon and a lengthy “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” (Led Zeppelin) tease for good measure.
Jeremy Schon of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong performing at Empire Live in Albany (12/9/22)
Now calling on a little help from their friends, it was at this point the band invited “the other Jeremy” out, welcoming Dogs in a Pile keyboardist and the birthday boy himself, Jeremy Kaplan back to the stage to sit on “Sunny Day.” Adding a whole new dynamic to an already funky sound, Kaplan’s contributions were huge here and he seemed like a natural fit, finally answering a question that’s been dogging P4 fans for years: “What would they sound like if they added some keys?” Quite the way to ring in your 24th birthday indeed. Keeping the dance party going strong, the one-two punch of “Move Like That” into “Live It Up” had the crowd worked up into a sweaty frenzy as the band brought the lengthy opening set to a close with “Elephante.”
Jeremy Kaplan sits in with PPPP on his 24th birthday (12/9/22)
Back with more positive vibes, Pigeons started the second frame with “Live Life” before going all in on an “Upfunk” sandwich that featured a jaw dropping drum solo from Alex “Gator” Petropoulos smack dab in the middle. Always clever with their setlists, a bit of an aquatic theme seemed to emerge as “Beneath the Surface” gave way to fan favorite “Poseidon” resulting in one of the biggest peaks of the evening courtesy of Schon’s incendiary shredding.
Ben Carrey of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong keeps it heady in Albany (12/9/22)
Master of disguise and purveyor of cool, bassist Ben Carrey was keeping it heady all night long, but perhaps his bass bombs were never more physically felt than on the next combination of songs, “Twitch” and “Water.” A scorching “High As Five” would bring the second set to a close and leave fans begging for more. Giving it 100 percent max effort and always happy to please “the flock”, Pigeons would take flight one final time, returning for an encore of” Schwanthem” and sending the hot crowd into the cold night with huge feelings of satisfaction. A fantastic evening of live music, song and dance, shared joy and vibe that quite simply downtown Albany hasn’t seen since before the pandemic.
Melting Lights: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong performing at Empire Live (12/9/22)
Up next for the band, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong will head to Harrisburg, PA next weekend for a pair of shows at XL Live before closing out the year with a two-night New Year’s Eve celebration in Pittsburgh with the Magic Beans.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong | 12-9-2022 | Empire Live | Albany, NY
Set 1: Porcupine, Fall In Place > While My Guitar Gently Weeps* > Sunny Day^, Move Like That > Live It Up, Elephante
Set 2: Live Life > Upfunk > Drums > Upfunk, Beneath The Surface, Poseidon, Twitch > Water, High As Five
Encore: Schwanthem
* w/ “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and “25 or 6 to 4” teases ^ w/ Jeremy Kaplan (Dogs In A Pile) on keys
Dogs in a Pile | 12-9-2022 | Empire Live | Albany, NY
Setlist: Look Johnny, Frosty, Fenway, Let U Go*, G Song, Bent Strange *Live Debut
When Hudson’s Chris Pellnat released his fifth solo album Go in September, it was yet another mark of a folk musician who simply can’t stick to just folk. While his songwriting stays pretty standard, his playful lyrics and eclectic instrumentation give him a signature mark.
With a well-filled out personal catalog, Pellnat’s collaborative resume has its marks as well. He’s one half of Brooklyn folk pop duo Teeniest. He’s the lead guitarist of Poughkeepsie group The Warp/The Weft, with whom he shows off his straightforward but technical approach through infectious lead riffs on albums such as 2019’s Dead Reckoning.
While the grunge and prog-rock tones of The Warp/The Weft and the upbeat folksy approach of Teeniest are relatively consistent, Pellnat likes his solo work a little all over the place. His 2021 record Crossing bounces from odd displays of vibraphone and clarinet to bright jangle pop to garage rock on a track-by-track basis, something which remains the same on Go, a 10-track, 30 minute exploration.
The opening titular track sets this tone from the get-go, with its wistful verses driven by vibraphone and gurgling synths setting the scene for Pellnat’s personal lyrics. “In my own way, trying to be better, braver wiser, and someday, I leave my burden down at the horizon,” he sings in an untrained tenor.
Pellnat created music videos for each of the record’s first three songs, each of which are brought together in a manner both amateurish yet endearing. “Go” is accompanied by a crude assembly of footage, including time-lapses of his rural Hudson Valley home, shots of him performing outdoors, and a frog.
Next is the adventurous and political “What Are We?” with its muted guitar riff and pulsating synth line that set the scene for Pellnat’s barrage of philosophical questions. “What if we are sick of the crazy, endless lies that will not die,” Pellnat sings on the final verse. “What if we are still trying to fight the evil power still inside?” It has an upbeat tension that reminisces of a storm chase or a search for a UFO.
The video’s combination of odd, color-imbalanced shots of his face juxtaposed with shots of an MRI scan through iMovie-adjacent transitions uphold the song’s mysterious energy, even in this DIY presentation.
Track three, “Existential Dread,” returns to the personal. It’s an upbeat and melodic dulcimer tune that follows the trope of cheery songwriting contrasted by dejected lyrics, as Pellnat talks about the failure of alleviating pain through vices and the permanence of existential dread. “Drinking won’t do it, weed won’t cut through it, I always knew it,” he sings on the chorus.
Its music video is easily the most absurd of the three, where Pellnat fights both caffeine and alcohol addiction alongside a vigorous quest to prove he’s not a robot through an endless series of CAPTCHA quizzes and corporate security questions.
Pellnat describes Go as “a rather positive statement overall” but also “colored by darkness,” with “Existential Dread” serving as an early example on the record. There’s also the sad accordion bluegrass of the following song “What I Want You To Want,” which mires itself in depressed romanticism. “No starry-eyed romantic, I’m talking about overcoming the darkness all around us,” Pellnat sings on the opening verse.
Later on is “Are We Going To Fly?” which despite being more vague in its brooding, is sonically the darkest point of the album with its uncanny guitar melody and echoing clarinet. “Are we going to find our way?” sings Pellnat. “Thought you said we had all day.” Backed by a skittering drum machine, this song shows Pellnat at his most off-kilter.
He still gives plenty of attention to the bright, earthy conventions common to Teeniest though, with exhibits such as the self-described jangle-fest “Earth Shaker.” It’s an endearing love song with summery guitars, making for a songwriting highlight. “Tumbling down the walls we made up, everything we will do it’ll last forever,” Pellnat sings on the chorus.
Then there’s penultimate track “Water Wings,” an acoustic/woodblock tune about climate change. “Typhoons in winter, tornado splinter, now you begin to taste the ocean breeze, it’s how its gonna be,” he sings on the second verse.
Closer “Suburbs of Paradise” continues with this commentary-oriented angle, as Pellnat sarcastically criticizes the uniformity of suburbia over a dusty slide guitar backdrop. He talks about how “the roads they’re all the same, they all just beat around the bush,” and talks about being trapped “in an endless cul de sac” in a short but sweet 1:52.
The other prime point of satire on Go is “This Is Not Rock and Roll,” where the salt and peppered musician calls himself “a walking cliché” with his guitar, says he’s “getting too old” to be a rock star over bluesy guitar licks and a warm plucky bassline.
Go is very personal album from Pellnat. Not in the sense that it’s constantly serious or sappy, but because it’s who he is. It’s vulnerable. It’s goofy. It’s political. It changes when it wants, and stays consistent when it’s comfortable. Chris Pellnat opened this album singing “in my own way” and never stopped, creating a record entirely built on his own endeavor.
Deer Tick made their long awaited return to the Capital Region on Saturday December 10, playing a near sold out show at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs. The indie rockers last played the Capital Region in 2018.
Deer Tick, from Providence, Rhode Island was originally born as the solo project of singer John McCauley. McCauley secured the band’s line up early on, adding brothers Dennis (drums) and Christopher (bass). McCauley would later add Ian O’neil (guitar and vocals) and firmly establish the band’s line up that would continue today.
Izzy Heltai kicked off the evening, playing a 35 minute set to an already packed room. Heltai, from nearby Brookline, MA, boasted proudly of previously playing coffee shops in Saratoga Springs. He and his band captivated the audience, performing a blend of mellow indie pop. As the set wound to a close, Heltai’s bandmates left the stage, allowing for one final song, just Heltai and an acoustic guitar.
Izzy Heltai performs at Putnam Place on 12/10
After a brief intermission, Deer Tick took to the stage with a roar of approval from the crowd. From the opening guitar strums of the party anthem “The Bump,” the crowd was fully engaged, belting out lyrics and dancing along. The band dazzled with their Impressive harmonies, with McCauley yielding lead vocals to both O’neil and Dennis Ryan at times. The band’s musical prowess was never more on display then when they performed a cover of the Muddy Waters blues rock classic, “You Shook Me.” McCauley and O’neill traded guitar solos while the Ryan brothers kept pace.
In all, the band would deliver an impressive, nearly two-hour, career spanning set. “Next year will be twenty years of this,” McCauley proclaimed proudly. After exiting the stage briefly, the band would return for a three song encore, to the delight of the audience. The band would end the show with a performance of Ashamed, the opening track on their 2007 debut album War Elephant. “Sing along if you know it,” McCauley asked of the crowd, and he was not left disapointed.
Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle, Marshall Crenshaw, Bettye LaVette and Martha Redbone are just a few of the luminaries coming out to support the launch of the Nic Pagano LGBTQIA+ Scholarship Fund at a benefit concert at The City Winery in NYC on January 26 at 8 PM.
The organization was created to honor the memory of Nic Pagano, son of veteran NYC drummer/producer/bandleader Rich Pagano, best known for his work with the Fab Faux. The charity enables ongoing assistance for families and individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community in need of financial help after agreeing to treatment for a substance use disorder. Pagano and his wife, Karen Marks, have partnered with The Release Recovery Foundation and Caron Treatment Centers to present the benefit event, entitled 1st Annual “Songs of Deep Emotion and Bright Light.” Tickets are on sale now here.
Cash, Earle, Crenshaw and LaVette are being joined by other artists including Amy Helm, Kate Pierson, Rachel Yamagata, Martha Redbone and Willie Nile and additional national and local music acts will be confirmed in the coming weeks. Each artist will perform a short set that illustrates an emotional and compromising element and/or a level of promise and faith. The flow will range from ‘melancholy blue to electric heat’. Pagano will serve as musical director.
In addition to raising proceeds from ticket sales, the event will feature an auction segment of coveted music-related photographs, including donations by Mark Seliger, William Coupon, Bob Gruen, The Gordon Parks Foundation and more. The auction will take place thanks to the outreach of Karen Marks, director of Howard Greenberg Gallery, one of the premiere photographic galleries in the world. Phillips Auction House has generously offered to facilitate.
One month prior to his accidental death due to fentanyl poisoning on July 2, 2021, Nic and his parents were eating lunch near the sober house that he was residing in at the time. At the lunch, the conversation turned to the plight of the LGBTQIA+ community and its fear of ostracization and assumption of lack of communal inclusion within the treatment world. Nic, leaning to an eventual career in social work, singled out the transgender community in particular for its marginalization. Unfortunately, this month’s hateful incident in Colorado is a clear indication that the stigma, fear and threats against the gay community need to be confronted, disarmed and dispelled.
As referenced above, the Release Recovery Foundation and Caron Treatment Centers have partnered in the creation of the Nic Pagano Scholarship Fund which is based at Caron Treatment Center in Pennsylvania. This scholarship aims to improve access to care for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Since its inception in the fall of 2021, the Nic Pagano LGBTQIA Scholarship Fund has awarded six financial scholarships to clients in need of substance use treatment. Services also address stigma, heterosexism, internalized homophobia, and discrimination as well as addiction. Over the last 18 months overdose deaths are up 25% in New York City with the LGBTQIA community as a group up 30% due to lack of treatment information or simply a fear of being different.
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