The first episode of Saturday Night Live‘s 49th season aired on October 14, with former cast member Pete Davidson hosting, joined by musical guest and Bronx native, Ice Spice. The show had been on hold due to the recently ended Writers Guild of America strike.
Opening the show with an uncharacteristically serious message, Davidson discussed the events in Israel and Gaza, comparing the recent terrorist attacks to those of 9/11, when Davidson’s father Scott, a firefighter, was killed in the tragic events of that day. It was comedy – Eddie Murphy’s Delirious – that helped Pete deal with the childhood trauma he endured, and with saying that, Davidson shared he would try to be funny this evening.
And try he did, with a few fresh sketches – Wired Autocomplete Interview, Beach Day and Secretary – plus topical sketches including FOX NFL Sunday pregame coverage, where the hosts cannot stop talking about Taylor Swift, regardless of her lack of connection to football.
Davidson didn’t appear as Chad or at the Weekend Update desk as he would while a cast member, instead dialing all his energy into “I’m Just Pete,” a parody of “I’m Just Ken” from this summer’s Barbie movie. Self-deprecating to the core, Pete makes light of himself and criticisms of his character in a poignant and hilarious digital short.
Ice Spice served as musical guest for the first time on Saturday Night Live, having gained a following for her unique voice and style of rapping. This past week, the Bronx-native rapper won big at the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards for Best Breakthrough hip-hop artist, and coming up in November, she will open select dates for Doja Cat.
Standing stiffly on the Studio 8H stage, an LED box was created around Ice, with two dancers flanking her with a low LED ceiling and dancefloor, while she sang her hit “In Ha Mood.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4t2SKGjkTE
Ice Spice’s second song this evening was introduced surprisingly by Taylor Swift, with her new song “Pretty Girl” on, with Nigerian singer Rema joining her for a duet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3FzkxeEACE
SNL returns on October 21 with host and musical guest, Bad Bunny.
On a fall Saturday night in Cohoes, the blues were alive and well at Cohoes Music Hall, with North Mississippi Allstars bringing their patented Hill Country sound to a lively, packed audience that hung on every note.
The power trio of brothers Luther (guitar) and Cody (drums) Dickinson were joined by bassist Berry Oakley Jr. this evening. Dickinson’s hypnotic guitar sound was on display this evening, particularly on “Outside,” off Set Sail, and featuring Lamar Williams Jr. on the studio version. A pair of songs with Cody Dickinson on vocals – “Let Me In” and “KC Jones” peppered the first set, ending with the 1969 R.L. Burnside classic “Po Black Maddie” that the Allstars have brought to a new generation with their amped up version.
Set 2 began with a double dose of southern rock, as the Hernando, Mississippi trio performed a 17 minute version of Allman Brothers Band‘s “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” You’ll want to watch this one:
The rest of the set featured classic NMAS songs “Goin Down South” and “All Night Long,” the latter sung by Cody Dickinson who took over guitar duties while Luther switched to bass and Berry hopped on the kit, followed by Cody taking an extended drum solo under a purple hue.
There was nary a flaw in the show this evening, the band members dialed in and playing songs from across their extensive catalog. They’ll be back next year, if not sooner, with an audience that continues to fill in to hear this wonderful Mississippi Hill Country sound.
North Mississippi Allstars – Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes, NY – Saturday, October 14
Set 1: Up and Rolling, Shake (Yo Mama), Mean Ol’ Wind Died Down, Let Me In, Outside, Ship, Meet Me in the City, K.C. Jones, Po Black Maddie Set 2: In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Goin Down South, Rabbit Foot, Mississippi Bollweevil, Otha’s Bye Bye Baby, Bumpin’, All Night Long > drum solo, Shame Em on Down, Mean Old World Encore: Didn’t We Have a Time (Luther solo)
Junior Jerry Jam, a Western New York non-profit committed to raising money and awareness to support local non-profits and community organizations through family friendly live music events, will host a fundraiser for Hospice of Buffalo with Sam Grisman Project performing live at Buffalo Iron Works. This special event begins at 11am on Saturday, October 21, with doors opening at 1030am.
Sam Grisman Project is an exciting and innovative musical venture from Sam Grisman, along with bandmates Ric Robertson, Aaron Lipp, and Chris J. English, all paying tribute to the legacy of Sam’s father “Dawg” and his collaboration with Jerry Garcia. This afternoon, the group will be recreating the amazing soundtrack of the 1993 album Not for Kids Only.
With the belief that Buffalo is truly the City of Good Neighbors, Junior Jerry Jam will donate all proceeds from the show to Hospice of Buffalo, a distinguished organization committed to providing compassionate end-of-life care.
This show allows families and fans of Grisman and Garcia, to indulge in the musical talents of the Sam Grisman Project, as well as contribute to the invaluable work of Hospice of Buffalo, supporting those in need during their most vulnerable moments. This incredible musical experience will make a meaningful impact on the Buffalo commurtnity.
Tickets for Sam Grisman Project will be available at the door at Buffalo Iron Works, or reserve your place by email via juniorjerryjam.org.
Long Island prog/jam rock trio Baked Shrimp are building quite a name in the jamband scene, not only for their musical talent, but for their annual Halloween tradition, now in its 6th year. The Halloween Extravaganza & Costume Contest, to be held at The Hollow on Friday, October 27, this year marks the second straight Halloween at The Hollow, with support from Albany’s own Timbre Coup.
Presented by Guthrie Bell Productions, Baked Shrimp’s Halloween Extravaganzas always include a surprise theme and band costume, audience costume contest, and an above and beyond production.
Baked Shrimp is a high-octane progressive fusion trio, emerging as a rising powerhouse in the festival circuit. Hailing from Long Island, Jared Cowen (Guitar/Vocals), Scott Reill (Bass/Vocals), and Jager Soss (Drums/Vocals) showcase their energetic and improvisational talents, transforming their three-piece sound into a symphonic experience.
As per tradition, Baked Shrimp goes above and beyond for Halloween, calling on Spinal Tap for the 2022 theme, which included pre-recorded movie skits shown on the screen behind the band, setting up the next song, dropping flowers off the balcony, making a “Stonehenge” prop plus dancers on select tunes.
The audience gets involved in the fun too – every year with the audience costume contest, the band and audience vote for winners (prizes include posters and merch), as well as one lucky winner who gets to join the band members on stage.
Check out last year’s Halloween Extravaganza below:
With another big show planned for this year, the theme, as tradition, does not get revealed until the show.
Opening the night will be Timbre Coup, who formed in 2007 just outside Albany in the town of Altamont. After many years and hundreds of shows alongside bands like The New Deal, Dopapod, Papadosio, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and Consider the Source among others along with festival appearances at such events as Camp Bisco X 2, Moedown and Mountain Jam, Timbre Coup brings a little something for everyone. With dynamic compositions, melodic and haunting vocals as well as slick chops this quartet entertains with a fervor.
After a brief hiatus between 2014-2018 the band sought other projects including jam projects Mister F and Lord Electro among others. This time away allowed more time for family and time to keep up with life. In 2018 Timbre Coup began playing and preparing for live shows again, and on March 2, 2019 the band made its triumphant return in front of a near sold out crowd at The Hollow. Listen to their newest single, “Firestorm,” below.
To prepare yourself for what Baked Shrimp have in store for this year, take a look and listen to the past Halloween themes from Baked Shrimp, and get ready for a truly unique evening of live music, great for jam and prog fans alike.
All photos by Miles Hurley
2022 – Spinal Tap – The Hollow, Albany
2021 – NRBQ – Greenlawn
2020 – Baseball – Cooperstown
2019 – Wizard of Oz – New Paltz
2018 – Scooby Doo/Trick-or-Treat – Valley Stream
The Hollow show is just one of the dates on Baked Shrimp’s recently announced 25-date Fall Tour which kicked off on Friday, October 6th. Other New York shows included on this tour are: 10/6 – Beaus Bar – Greenlawn, NY 11/1 – Lovin’ Cup – Rochester, NY 11/2 – Buffalo Iron Works – Buffalo, NY w/ eberwine
It was now or never. I had not seen a show at The Chance, despite seeing shows in all parts of New York State, and somehow never made it a point to get there for a show. With the recent sale of the building and renovations slated to begin, The Chance’s final slate of shows in September and October meant that years of putting off traveling south to Poughkeepsie for a show had finally crept up to me, so a jaunt down I-87 was in order on a Saturday night, October 7, to see what this historic Hudson Valley venue held within its walls.
With a dive bar aura, cracking ceiling paint and a general ambiance best described as faded glory, The Chance feels like a time-forgotten Cohoes Music Hall, where a dedicated effort could put a shine across the venue and bring back patrons by the hundreds. Cohoes Music Hall, on the other hand, has the support of the city of Cohoes, a variety of acts and shows, active renovation efforts (in a building that is more than 30 years older than The Chance) and history on display from lobby to pit and all points in between. But the charm of The Chance, a 110 year old building that was originally designed for vaudeville, was present and the denseness of the room was palpable, with a light crowd spreading out on the lower level throughout the night.
One of the (likely) original sculptures in The Chance, overlooking the bar at Stage Left.
The Chance feels as if the history has been tucked away, with just a few stained glass windows, a painting or two, and a pair of sarcophagi flanking the stage off to the upper left and right. With the show tonight not sold out, the upstairs was not accessible, although I’m not sure what more could be seen from up above. The view from below did not leave a ton to the imagination – seating upstairs and room for folks to pack in downstairs amounts to a capacity of 900, but with only 200 or so patrons this evening, just the downstairs was rocking.
A view from the pit
On tap for this evening were a trio of tribute bands – Halen (Van Halen, obv.), Wicked Garden (Stone Temple Pilots, immediately piquing my interest) and Faceless (Godsmack). While I’ll always seek out original music before covers, tribute acts for three hard rocking bands from the last 40 years wasn’t a hard sell.
Growing on up in the 80s with equal parts Van Halen and Van Hagar on the radio, catching Halen – hailin’ from Connecticut – would be a rare chance to hear a non-jamband cover “Running with the Devil” and “Hot for Teacher.” And that was all we would catch from Halen this evening, arriving just past 8pm as they wound down their short opening set. Doors at 7pm and music starting on time at 730pm? Never would have expected that, but I would still seek out Halen again, with hope for some deep cuts next time, as well as the hits.
The stage curtain at The Chance Theatre
Having been a Stone Temple Pilots fan since Core, I was ready for a full barrage of STP classics, and Wicked Garden did not disappoint. In a scene where cover bands are plentiful, tribute acts like Wicked Garden stand out for their attention to musical detail and the ability to dive into a catalog with more than just a cursory look at the hits. The fans want those hits no doubt, but the deeper cuts, the tracks that slipped in between the radio play singles on the album, or buried on Side B, those are the money tunes to cash in on as a tribute band.
Matty Ayerz, the frontman (Scott Weiland) of Wicked Garden, had Weiland’s vocals down, his stage presence and microphone/bullhorn volume just perfect, as well as Weiland’s late career look – button down shirt, tie, jacket, with military-style cap – but saved the crowd from going full-Weiland and taking off his shirt. This evening Ayerz was dialed in, as were his bandmates, and while the bassist and guitarist were not brothers, this tribute band was otherwise as close to what you’d hope to get from an STP show, were Weiland still alive and on good terms with the DeLeo brothers.
Highlights of the set included the expected “Wicked Garden,” a refreshing revisit to “Interstate Love Song,” a tune whose excessive radio play in 1994 none could escape from, and “Lady Picture Show” – a tune I hadn’t heard in a decade or more, which settled in a little different this evening, with the vaudeville era theater giving off a glow, as if the song harkened back to the era of silent films of a century ago.
While the setlist below gives you an idea of what the band performs on stage, the actual setlist was a little more varied, slowly working through the band’s numerous hits, and ending with “Creep,” “Sex Type Thing,” “Plush” and “Dead and Bloated.” Looks, sound, energy and presence – Wicked Garden had it all this evening, and no doubt will be in the Hudson Valley again soon.
Faceless: a tribute to Godsmack, would be the final act of the evening, drawing in many fans to the previously vacant pit, prepared to rock out to the sound and live energy that Godsmack is known for.
Veteran musicians Tony, Chad, Rich and Bret crafted a phenomenal set, taking time to pay heed to the venue, recalling the memories made in the venue, bringing up Tommy Terezis (Soundquake, Body Level, Hallow Time, Them) to say kind words for the late Frank Pallet, who booked Terezis, Faceless, and hundreds of other bands in his tenure as owner of The Chance. Kudos were paid to Frank for his years of looking out for bands and booking them, giving them a shot in this intimate room.
With more playback than Wicked Garden, the build up into each Godsmack song took some time, as the band prepped for each tune, the vocals as spot on as you’d expect – close your eyes and you’re hearing Sully Erna – notably on “Voodoo” and “I Stand Alone.”
With only 10 total events (including School of Rock and karaoke, as well as a variety of bands), Hatebreed will be the final artist to perform on The Chance stage, for now. Catch them on Sunday, October 29, with doors opening at 4pm. More info can be found here.
Former Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson will host the debut of Season 49 on Saturday, October 14, bringing along musical guest Ice Spice for a return to the airwaves.
Davidson, an eight year veteran cast member who departed the show in May 2022, was slated to host the finale of Season 48 this past May, but the episode was scratched due to strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).
The WGA has ended their strike after a tentative agreement on a new contract with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), while SAG-AFTRA continue their strike.
Due to variety shows such as SNL working under a different contract than scripted television shows, production can begin on the 49th season without issue.
In addition to Pete Davidson being announced as host, Saturday Night Live has added a new cast member, featured player Chloe Troast. She will join current cast members Michael Che, Colin Jost, Bowen Yang, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Punkie Johnson, Ego Nwodim and Kenan Thompson.
Bad Bunny will serve as both host and musical guest on Saturday, October 21.
An annual tradition, the Beacon Sloop Club’s Annual Pumpkin Festival will be held on Sunday, Oct. 15th, from 12-5pm at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park in Beacon. Located on the Riverside of the Metro North Beacon Station), this rain or shine event is a fun, family friendly event along the shores of the Hudson River. Admission as always is free and the public is welcome to attend.
Featured at the Pumpkin Festival are Hudson Valley pumpkins of all sizes and shapes, fresh-baked pumpkin pie served with homemade whipped cream, hot pumpkin soup, hot and cold apple cider and many more culinary delights available for purchase.
With two solar powered music stages – including one dedicated for children – live music will be provided throughout the day from performers including Betty and the Baby Boomers, Lost Ryders of the Waywayonda, Lydia Adams Davis, Bindlestick Bill, Rick & Donna Nestler, Sarah Underhill and The Stockport Middleground, The Storycrafters, The Judith Tulloch Band, Sharleen Leahey and more.
Additionaly, numerous food and craft vendors will be on hand as well as environmental non-profits will feature displays of local Hudson River history and the environment including information about their organizations. The many free activities for children, in addition to the children’s stage, make this the perfect family event on the shores of the Hudson.
Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, located on the majestic Hudson River, gives access to the Beacon Sloop Club’s boat, the Woody Guthrie, which will be taking guests on free sails from the Beacon Harbor, weather permitting. The public may sign up for an afternoon sail to relax and experience the beauty, power and grandeur of the Hudson. Sign ups start at noon at the Beacon Sloop Club table.
Earlier this year, the Beacon Sloop Club’s Corn Festival raised money for the public sailing program on the Woody Guthrie and other environmental education programs. The Sloop Club meets the first Friday of each month at the clubhouse in Beacon for a potluck dinner, business meeting and live music. The clubhouse is located on the banks of the Hudson River near the Metro-North train station, and all are always welcome.
On Friday, September 29, U2 lit up the stage of the Sphere in Las Vegas with the opening night of their highly-anticipated U2:UV Achtung Baby Live series at the world’s most cutting-edge venue.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 29: (Exclusive Coverage) Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Bram van den Berg of U2 perform during opening night of U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere on September 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)
Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Bram van den Berg performed two sets of Achtung Baby tunes plus a lengthy encore of hits standing on a Brian Eno-inspired turntable stage. U2 utilized every part of Sphere’s LED screen, offering the world’s largest and highest-resolution, with an awe-inspiring gallery of visual art showcasing bespoke art from artists including Es Devlin, John Gerrard, Marco Brambilla, and Industrial Light & Magic.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 30: (Exclusive Coverage) Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Bram van den Berg of U2 perform during U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere on September 30, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)
U2 provided fans a fully immersive experience featuring top of the line technology offered at Sphere, which is reinventing the live music experience with the world’s highest-resolution LED screen on the interior of the Sphere, spanning four acres and surrounding the stage and audience, creating a completely immersive visual environment.
The four-football field long interior screen hovers 240 feet above the stage, with a steel framework supporting the 160,000-square-foot screen and the 160,000-speaker Holoplot multilayered audio system weighs about 730 tons.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 29: (Exclusive Coverage) Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Bram van den Berg of U2 perform during opening night of U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere on September 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)
Outside of Sphere, the Exosphere is the largest LED screen on Earth consists of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks across 580,000 square feet of surface, with each puck containing 48 individual LED diodes, and each diode capable of displaying 256 million different colors, all combining to create an unmistakably vivid landmark on the Las Vegas skyline.
The Exosphere displays a wide range of custom artistic and branded content, attracting worldwide interest as a result of the venue being photographed and shared widely on social media daily.
The state-of-the-art Sphere Immersive Sound, developed by Holoplot and considered to be the world’s most advanced audio system, provides the world’s largest, fully integrated concert-grade audio system and will revolutionize immersive audio experiences. A system of 1,600 permanently installed and 300 mobile Holoplot X1 Matrix Array loudspeaker modules includes a total of 167,000 individually amplified loudspeaker drivers. Using Holoplot’s next-generation 3D Audio-Beamforming and Wave Field Synthesis technology, the audio is transformed for delivery in large-scale venues such as Sphere.
The result is a controlled, consistent and crystal-clear concert-grade audio for audiences of up to 20,000 people, providing individual audience members with a personalized listening experience, whether sitting in the front or back rows. At Sphere, you may not see the sound system as the entire apparatus is completely hidden behind the 160,000-square-foot interior LED display plane.
So with this ground-breaking audio-visual venue at their disposal, U2 celebrated an historic live music milestone with fans from all over the world and VIP attendees including Dr. Dre, Jimmy Kimmel, John Starks, Paul McCartney, Sheryl Sandberg, Snoop Dogg and many more.
The show was the first in a 25-date run of shows that celebrates the band’s acclaimed album Achtung Baby, as well as its accompanying and industry-defining ZOO TV Tour in 1991. U2 also performed a new song, “Atomic City,” an homage to the magnetic spirit of 70’s post-punk with a nod to Blondie, whose pioneering work with Giorgio Moroder inspired and influenced the band.
The name “Atomic City” is also a 1950s nickname for Las Vegas from a time when nuclear fascination swept the nation and the city promoted itself as a center of atomic tourism due to its proximity to the Nevada Test Site.
U2 – Sphere, Las Vegas, NC – September 29, 2023
Achtung Baby Part 1: Zoo Station, The Fly, Even Better Than the Real Thing, Mysterious Ways, One, Until the End of the World, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World Turntable Set: All I Want Is You, Desire, Angel of Harlem, Love Rescue Me Achtung Baby Part 2: So Cruel, Acrobat, Ultraviolet (Light My Way), Love Is Blindness Encore: Elevation, My Way, Atomic City, Vertigo, Where the Streets Have No Name, With or Without You, Beautiful Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2f5NzAALCA
Sphere has also announced the first movie studio collaboration with Dreamworks Animation for the upcoming Trolls Band Together. A brand campaign specifically designed for the Exosphere – the fully programmable LED exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas – Trolls Band Together, which hits theaters nationwide on November 17.
We’re thrilled to have the innovative and imaginative DreamWorks Animation be the first movie studio to collaborate on a bespoke marketing campaign for the Exosphere. The Exosphere’s larger-than-life canvas has become the premier platform for brands looking to tell their stories on an unparalleled scale, reaching audiences across the globe from the heart of Las Vegas.
David Hopkinson, President and Chief Operating Officer of MSG Sports
DreamWorks collaborated with Sphere Studios, Sphere’s in-house creative studio, to develop custom animated content featuring beloved characters from the movie alongside kaleidoscopic art from the film. The week-long campaign began September 25, and will include a special takeover of the venue on the night of September 28 to countdown to the release of *NSYNC’s new single “Better Place” on September 29, which will be featured in Trolls Band Together.
interior of SpheredefaultLAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 29: (Exclusive Coverage) Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Bram van den Berg of U2 perform during opening night of U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere on September 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 29: (Exclusive Coverage) Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Bram van den Berg of U2 perform during opening night of U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere on September 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 29: (Exclusive Coverage) Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Bram van den Berg of U2 perform during opening night of U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere on September 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 29: (Exclusive Coverage) Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Bram van den Berg of U2 perform during opening night of U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere on September 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)
Finger Lakes musician Jeremy Button of Americana band Growl Bear, has penned a few tunes as of late that celebrate two distinct regions of New York State, the Delaware Valley and the Finger Lakes.
Among them are the comedic tune, with a dash of regional pride, “Fingerlakes Wine,” and the history-infused “The Ballad of Orrin & Squire.”
Growing up in Wayland, NY, Button attended SUNY Fredonia, and currently works for NYSDOT. A guitarist and songwriter in Americana band Growl Bear, Button has learned a variety of instruments, among them fiddle, mandolin, bagpipes, and banjo as well as writing music for both Growl Bear and his solo performances.
Speaking of “Fingerlakes Wine,” Button says, “I just wanted my area to have a song like this. I love Rochester and the Fingerlakes area and I like writing songs about where I live, we don’t have a lot of them and we need more, creating lore, making us feel more in touch with this place we call home.”
Button’s tune “Fingerlakes Wine” comes in both a classy (above, for all ages) and original versions, while “The Ballad of Orrin & Squire” is ripped from the history books and lyrics mention various stops in the Southern Catskills.
Button’s Great-great Grandfather and his brother fought in the Civil War for the Union Army, part of the NY 56th Regiment of Volunteers, also known as the 10th Legion. A tune that comes right out of Button’s family tree, the song tells of their travels from small towns near the New York-Pennslyvania border to New York City before heading south to fight. Button says of the song’s historical accuracy, “95% true. Not many songs about NY regiments going to go kick butt.”
Another tune from Button, “Goodbye Fredonia,” the reluctance that he found in moving onto the next stage of his life, post-college.
You can catch Jeremy Button performing solo and with Growl Bear this fall around the Finger Lakes. Growl Bear plays at Lovin Cup, near Rochester Institute of Technology at 8:30 on Friday, October 6 and the trio version of Growl Bear plays at the B-side in Fairport on October 25. For more info visit the band’s website.
There is something about the village of Lake George that has made this Southern Adirondack town a destination for music festivals and concert series from late spring until mid-fall. Memorial Meltdown, Adirondack Independence Music Festival, Lake George Music Festival, nightly music during the week at the Shepard Park Weekly Concerts (including Fridays at the Lake), Rock the Dock, Jazz at the Lake, Adirondack Bluegrass Festival, Lake George DJ Takeover Music Festival, Rock the Lake Music Festival, and the Lake George Jazz Weekend are just some of the events found on the southern end of Lake George. Now add to this incredible roster of summer music festivals and concerts series a new music festival with a Merlin twist, Wild in the Trees.
A skateboard/music festival hybrid, Wild in the Trees is a most unique event, held October 7-8, 2023, on the grounds of the Lake George Skate Plaza, adjacent to Charles R. Wood Park. A full two days of music, skateboarding and various competitions will be on hand, with 50% of net proceeds benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region.
The logo you see above is an homage to skateboard company Spitfire, an evil looking logo worked into the tree, making it wild. The name of the festival derives from the song “Wild in the Streets” by the Circle Jerks, featured in Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland. The first event was held in 2022, and year two looks to be even better with a stellar lineup, highlighted by Mike Gantzer’s Pro Skater, Candy Ambulance, FUNGKSHUI, Victory Soul Orchestra, Hilltop and many more.
But the festival would not be here without the dedication and perseverance of some local skaters more than 15 years ago.
photo by Frank Cavone
Frankie Cavone, promoter of Wild in the Trees and owner of Mirth Films, has been an avid skater his whole life, but the Village of Lake George did not have a skatepark in his formative years. In 2008, Cavone and Doug Quimby, among others, began a campaign to raise money to carve out a skatepark on the grounds of the former Gaslight Village, a small amusement park that was on the site until 1989 and demolished in 2010.
It would take eight years for the dream to become a reality, with the park opening in 2016, with a competition at the grand opening, the first of many such competitions. Shortly after, in 2018, Cavone would begin Mirth Films, a company that creates original video content, winning awards and gaining acclaim and positive reviews across the Capital Region.
Videography and skateboarding are intertwined in Cavone’s life, as his love of skateboarding led to him bringing video camera to film tricks and flips, and would lead to beginning to shoot jam band shows in 2015. Getting his friends involved on the video end would be the formation for Mirth Films, which has grown steadily over the past five years.
With support from local promoter Dave Ehmann – who supported the skate park fundraising efforts as far back as 2010 – inspiration came to Cavone with Ehmann’s ADK Fest being a standard bearer for events in Lake George. This long relationship would spur something the genesis of what would become Wild in the Trees.
Between skateboarding, live music and videography, Cavone would take his knowledge of these, imbued with a deeper curiosity, led to forming a bond with Mayor Bob Blais of Lake George (the longest serving mayor in U.S. history, at 52 years). Cavone wanted to keep holding skating competitions each year, but also wanted to incorporate music into the event, making for a hybrid music festival concept. Utilizing ‘Bed Tax’ money that hotels in the Lake George region pay (funding events from Americade to Oktoberfest) Mayor Blais assisted Cavone in acquiring a grant for the music festival. With approval, Wild in the Trees was christened in October 2022 and returns for its sophomore grind October 7-8.
The lineup for this year’s Wild in the Trees builds on the skateboarding aspect of the festival, bringing in a band that is both familiar and has many familiar names and faces included. Mike Gantzer’s Pro Skater is a project led by Aqueous/Death Kings’ guitarist Gantzer and serves as a tribute to the iconic soundtracks featured throughout the TonyHawk’sProSkater video game collection. Joining Mike are Evan McPhaden (Aqueous) Ryan Nogle (Funktional Flow, Aqueous, Dirty Work Steely Dan tribute) Jonny Evans (rapper) Billy Bratek (Maufrey) and DJ Fiorella.
Ripping through songs that underscored an entire generation’s experience growing up, Mike is a uniquely qualified musician to lead the charge given his longtime passion for skateboarding, his high ranking scores in TonyHawk’sProSkater online, and his metal/rock/punk trio Death Kings.
It’s almost hard for me to overstate my connection to the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games! I was 10 years old when the first one came out and I was already totally obsessed with skateboarding, and the game just solidified what would become a lifelong love of all things skating (and gaming for that matter).
The soundtrack was iconic and was an early introduction to punk, hip hop, ska, and all kinds of really amazing music and culture. Between skate tapes on VHS and the THPS series, I was getting a fast education, and this timeline happened to be when I connected with guitar playing, too. What was beautiful about some of the punk stuff was that it was accessible enough to approach as a beginner, but also represented a lot of frustration I felt with growing up in an unstable and tumultuous home setting that I could get out in a healthy way.
Fast forward twenty years, and music and skateboarding are still two of my biggest passions in life, and I’m grateful everyday for both of them, so you can imagine my joy at getting the chance to do an entire tribute set to the games’ music AT a skate event for Wild In the Trees ’23. Pretty much my ideal situation! I’m also pretty skilled at THPS, and at one point was ranked top 150 in the world on the online leaderboards, I even made a video of one of my runs, because as it is in skating, if you didn’t capture it, did it really even happen?
Mike Gantzer
Cavone adds in the viewpoint of a skater, saying “When people in other countries think of skateboarding, they think Tony Hawk – he got millions of people into skateboarding.” The synonymous nature of Tony Hawk, Skateboarding, Mike Gantzer and the overall music festival mesh together in a ripper of an event.
Cavone first learned of Mike Gantzer’s Pro Skater within the last 12 months, as he was looking to get an artist to headline the festival that would draw in fans of live music and skateboarding, and would be unique to Wild in the Trees specifically. Cavone would end up asking Gantzer about having The Death Kings (a punk/metal trio that pays homage to all things heavy, including Gantzer, Ryan Stasik from Umphrey’s McGee and Michaelangelo Carubba), but the better fit that Gantzer suggested would be his own ‘Pro Skater’ group.
The roots of the skate plaza effort are never lost on Cavone. Filling a community need with his team endeavor is the origin of Wild in the Trees, an event for which the promoter is stoked.
“If it wasn’t for the skaters, we would never have access to do this. If it wasn’t for the stuff that we did when we were kids, we would never have been able to make that bond with the town and the skaters, and seeing people skate the park as we drive by – something we dreamed of when we were younger – is really a blessing.”
Frankie Cavone
With half the profits from ticket sales going to Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region, a full two days of skateboarding competitions and live music, and an idyllic setting in the Village of Lake George, the team behind the festival is ready for year two of their experimental music festival, one that caters to a broad audience with a rad sesh planned out over the weekend.
