The Tedeschi Trucks band, featuring Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, brought their gutsy, blues-oriented rock-n-roll to Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The crowd was eager to gobble up the throaty singing of Susan Tedeschi and the equally soulful guitar licks of Derek Trucks. It was a good crowd, and the band fully entertained their audience. TTB can be caught on tour this summer and even in Japan this fall!
Photo by Derek Java
Setlist: Woman to Woman (Joe Cocker), It Hurt So Bad (Susan Tedeschi), Fall In, Yes We Will, Take Me as I Am, Circles ‘Round the Sun, Pasaquan, Just Won’t Burn (Susan Tedeschi), Gin House Blues (Bessie Smith), Part of Me, Looking for Answers (Susan Tedeschi), I Wish I Knew (Billy Taylor), Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) (The Rolling Stones), I Want More >, Beck’s Bolero (Jeff Beck)
Encore: Keep On Smilin’ (Wet Willie), Stand Back (The Allman Brothers Band)
Weezer delivered an electrifying performance on their Indie Rock Roadtrip tour at CMAC on July 3, catering to audiences new and old with their expansive and iconic discography. For almost thirty years Weezer has been churning out hit after hit, including the notable “Buddy Holly” to “Island In The Sun,” as well as their infamous cover of “Africa” by Toto.
Photo by Jamie Mohr for NYS Music.
With storms earlier in the day, the clouds lightened up and the beautiful hot sun pounded down on those ready to see a night full of great indie music. Punk rock band Joyce Manor was the first opener of the night, with their grunge-esque sounds and aesthetic, the group kept the audience engaged and in the mood for the night ahead.
The second opener, Future Islands, was a whole different vibe and experience than the band before it. With their futuristic-sounding instrumentals, unique and intimidating vocals, and a stage presence like no other, the almost 20-year-old band pulled from their extensive and creative discography for a set like no other. Lead singer Samuel T. Herring put on quite the show with his immersive and passionate performance, moving all around the stage and even falling to the floor a few times.
Future Islands, photo by Jamie Mohr for NYS Music.
Finally came the moment everyone was waiting for, Weezer taking the stage. Founded in 1992, the band features Rivers Cuomo (lead), Patrick Wilson (drums), Scott Shriner (guitar), and Brian Bell (bass). Since its inception, Weezer has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide, finding fame with their 1994 record Weezer, dubbed “the Blue Album.” When the curtain fell to start the show, the stage emerged into a car, with the radio and wheel, and graphics showing different roads throughout the whole night, very fitting to the Indie Rock Roadtrip name.
Photo by Brian Ferguson for NYS Music.
Weezer opened with “My Name Is Jonas” an iconic and nostalgia-infused track from their first record. The crowd immediately started jumping and moving back and forth as the music started, with the band just as hyped. Quickly moving through tracks, the band performed one of their most famous tracks “Beverly Hills,” featuring the audience screaming the lyrics, “Beverly Hills/That’s where I want to be.”
Photo by Jamie Mohr for NYS Music.
Keeping up with the pace, the band grooved to their instrumental track “Return to Ithaka,” and brought out some oldies including “The Good Life,” “Pork and Beans,” “Pink Triangle,” and “El Scorcho.” During “You Gave Your Love to Me Softly,” Weezer brought out the lead singer of Joyce Manor, Barry Johnson, to sing, adding more vocals to the already perfected harmonies the band has. At this point, I was already spent from dancing and singing, but I carried on because the show was so energetic and infectious.
Things got softer in the middle of the show to give the audience the much-needed break, with Rivers Cuomo performing solo acoustic tracks like “I’m Just Being Honest,” the live debut of the track, and the infamous “Only in Dreams,” bringing out the rest of the members for the songs long instrumental break.
Photo by Brian Ferguson for NYS Music.
The rest of the concert was exciting and fun with more popular tracks like “Island in the Sun” bringing out new stage effects like a giant sun, and other tracks like “Say It Ain’t So,” seeing the crowd at their loudest. My favorite part of the night was the encore because the crowd was the most hype they had been so far, with songs like “Surf Wax America,” and “Buddy Holly,” ending the most perfect evening. Overall, Weezer’s Indie Rock Roadtrip was exciting, fun, and very tame, leading to a great experience full of amazing music.
Set: My Name Is Jonas, Beverly Hills, Return to Ithaka, The Good Life, Pork and Beans, Pink Triangle, El Scorcho, You Gave Your Love to Me Softly, Blast Off!, Undone – The Sweater Song, I’m Just Being Honest, Susanne, Only in Dreams, The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn), Island in the Sun, Perfect Situation, All My Favorite Songs, Say It Ain’t So, Run, Raven, Run (instrumental only), Hash Pipe, and Thank You and Good Night.
Encore: The Waste Land, Surf Wax America, Buddy Holly.
Saratoga Springs welcomes dozens of bands each summer, with the biggest names making it to the stage of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. In 1990, one of the biggest names in rock n roll history, David Bowie, performed his one and only show at SPAC, with a Saturday night performance on July 7.
Wow, remember Record Town?
For the “Sound+Vision” Tour, Bowie opted for a smaller band and suggested he was looking for a smaller sound, saying in an interview with Q Magazine, “It’s a much smaller sound. It’s not quite as orchestrated as any of the other tours. The plus of that is that there is a certain kind of drive and tightness that you get with that embryonic line-up, where everybody is totally reliant on the other two or three guys, so everybody gives a lot more.” Read the full interview with Paul Du Noyer here.
Q magazine from April 1990
This tour was not in support of a new album, as the latest release from Bowie was 1987’s Never Let Me Down which launched the “Glass Spider” tour. This was instead billed as a greatest hits tour, with Bowie planning to retire his catalogue of hit songs from live performance, a move that would draw millions of fans worldwide to see him on the “Sound+Vision” tour. With two albums having flopped in the mid-80s (hello 1984’s Tonight), he was looking to give himself a creative and artistic boost, and shedding his old hits became the drive behind “Sound+Vision.”
Bowie was also playing with Tin Machine at this time, and told the band he was contractually obligated to embark on this greatest hits tour, inviting guitarist Reeves Gabrels to join him on the road. The Tin Machine guitarist declined, but suggested Adrian Belew, giving him a phone call and putting Bowie on the phone.
It’s time to put about 30 or 40 songs to bed and it’s my intention that this will be the last time I’ll ever do those songs completely, because if I want to make a break from what I’ve done up until now, I’ve got to make it concise and not have it as a habit to drop back into. It’s so easy to kind of keep going on and saying, well, you can rely on those songs, you can rely on that to have a career or something, and I’m not sure I want that.
David Bowie, interview with Music Express Magazine, March 1990
Bowie went on discussing his clean break from his past catalog, adding, “I’ve never done a show where I’ve just done songs that over the years have proved to be popular with the audience in that way. It’s always been about 50/50. I’ve done enough that they know to keep their attention on the show and the rest of the of it – I can do the stuff that I want to do in between – but I’ve never actually almost allowed them to choose the show for me, which is in fact, what we’re going to do.”
Music Express Magazine, March 1990
Thus, the personnel for Bowie’s 1990 tour were the Thin White Duke himself (guitar, saxophone, vocals) Adrian Belew (guitar, backing vocals and also serving as music director), Erdal Kızılçay (bass guitar, backing vocals), Rick Fox (keyboards, backing vocals) and Michael Hodges (drums.) Canadian dance choreographer Édouard Lock of the Québécois contemporary dance group La La La Human Steps co-conceived the tour with Bowie, and served as artistic director for this tour.
It had been reported there was tension among the band during the tour, as Kızılçay, who recalled that Bowie “wasn’t very happy“ and when they were in South America by the end of the tour, Bowie was not coming to soundchecks.
As noted in Chris O’Leary’s Ashes to Ashes The Songs of David Bowie 1976-2016, keyboardist Rick Fox was not invested in the Sound+Vision tour, going so far as to eat dinner on stage, and at least once turned off his own keyboards and played his own songs while sampled parts of Bowie’s songs were playing.
In total, Bowie spent seven months on the road at five continents, performing 108 times in 27 countries. Discover more about the Sound+Vision tour here.
So with a greatest hits tour and only so much drive in the tank after a pair of commercial failures, David Bowie gave it a go on a global tour, and his performance at SPAC was full of the hits he promised and a notable moment following “Young Americans” where he spoke out in defense of free speech and expression.
Fans recalled the venue was packed, as this sold out show had the SPAC lawn filled, even with KISS performing 30 minutes south in Albany at the Knickerbocker Arena that same night. One fan who was not a fan of Belew’s noted the difference, saying “Belew, while a great instrumentalist, did not have the style and flash or sound of Spiders from Mars guitarist Mick Ronson. Sure enough, after a few songs I knew I’d made the wrong choice! The comparatively subdued band to the Spiders couldn’t give any authentic glitter and sleeze to those songs and they fell flat for me. I stayed but wished I was at the KISS show seeing their over the top excess.”
Bootleg album cover art
A Times Union review of David Bowie at SPAC, written by Michael Eck, referred to the concert as “the most breathlessly awaited show of the summer” and called the show “one of the best things in life – the kind of performance that could breathe life into a tired soul.”
During the performance, Bowie utilized multiple screens and the best video effects of the early 90s to capture his movement, performance and engagement on stage. Watch below and you’ll be able to see Bowie singing duets with a 20-foot projection of himself, dancing with an androgynous look-alike, and thin screens housing projections of Bowie over the stage. Providing fans these visuals in conjunction with his greatest hits showed the tour name “Sound+Vision” was more than a song or box set, and allowed Bowie to find balance in this extensive tour. Bowie was, after all, going through the motions of playing these songs live for the final time, relieved for sure, and as the tour wore on, surely experiencing wistfulness of the occasion.
The show is a greatest hits show from one of the greatest musicians, and having listened to this show numerous times, its a crowd pleaser for any Bowie fan. Of note, and tied to the politics of the era, is Bowie’s aside during “Young Americans,” where Bowie took a moment to offer supportive commentary towards 2 Live Crew – whose album As Nasty As They Wanna Be was declared obscene by a judge and was the focus of ire against lyrics, particularly rap and hip-hop.
While stretching out “Young Americans” with a blues riff that Belew and Bowie smoked, Bowie said, “This is the unnecessary portion of the show,” and began to talk about growing up in London, listneing to American music, especially the blues. He mentioned listening to Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and James Brown, and then shifted gears to authors he read: Kerouc and Ginsberg, who wrote about what they felt and were going through. And with a captive audience in a seemingly ‘off script’ moment, Bowie said:
“Do you know that they’re banning Hemingway in libraries these days? You don’t know do you? Does anybody here hear that they’re banning Hemingway? Fahrenheit 451 is now on the restricted borrowing at some libraries. You don’t care do you?”
David Bowie, to the SPAC audience, during “Young Americans”
Sensing the crowd was drifting away, Bowie reeled them back in, saying “That’s why I went out and bought my 2 Live Crew album” which was followed by enthusiastic applause from the audience. Bowie continued on, saying that “You don’t have to like the stuff but my god I support any right for anybody to write a song without going to jail for it, motherfuckers.”
Despite the injection of what some would call ‘politics’ in a rock concert (gasp!), David Bowie brought the SPAC audience full circle, revisiting the roots of one of his greatest hits, tying it to his youth and that of the crowd, then to present day, with a supportive pro-free speech statement.
As Michael Eck noted in his review, the reunion tours that took place in 1989-90 – the Rolling Stones “Steel Wheels” tour, The Who 25th anniversary tour, and Paul McCartney embarking on his first solo tour – it was Bowie who stood alone among them. “Saturday night Bowie took his past in his hands and gloriously threw it all away while we watched. Those other tours were history shaking with age, Saturday’s was history shaking with life. It was simply one of the greatest spectacles I have ever witnessed.”
David Bowie – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) – Sound+Vision Tour – July 7, 1990
Setlist: Space Oddity, Rebel Rebel, Changes, Ashes to Ashes, Life on Mars?, Pretty Pink Rose (Adrian Belew cover), Stay, Blue Jean, Let’s Dance, Sound and Vision, Ziggy Stardust, China Girl, Station to Station, Young Americans, Suffragette City, Fame, Heroes Encore: White Light/White Heat, Baby What You Want Me to Do, The Jean Genie, I’m Waiting for the Man, Gloria
In the Hudson Valley, you will find no shortage of recording studios spread throughout the region, including a number in New Paltz, Woodstock and around Ulster County.
photo by Steve Malinski
Welterweight Sound Studio in New Paltz, owned by producer/engineer Ryan Dieringer, is an ideal spot for recording, mixing, and mastering music with a 32’x17’ live room and “in the round” control room with 16’ wood-slat, gabled ceilings as well as two isolation booths. Welterweight is also an ideal place for audiobook/podcast/ADR recording or mixing, with a strong Wi-Fi connection.
A piano set in Welterweight Sound Studio in New Paltz.
The independent JT Beats LLC Studios in New Paltz is owned by Jake Totilo and offers several recording, mixing, and mastering services. Totilo grew up in Brooklyn and learned how to play piano from his Grandpa at the age of 7 and uses music as an outlet for self-expression, whether it be the piano, singing, production, or DJing. He is now 20 and studied music at the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz and even released his album.
Dreamland Recording Studios in Hurley, a town in Ulster County and west of Kingston, was opened in the ’80s by Joel Bluestein, due to the recording studio climate at the time, which he found to be a mostly hostile working environment. His goal was to create a socially-responsible business that treated its employees like family and was an overall better place to work and record, as well as close the gender gap in the male-dominated recording business, hiring women and bringing in new ideas and ways of working. In 2005, Dreamland closed down due to the economic climate at the time, as many studios were forced to do. In 2008, however, Jerry Marotta came on board and re-opened the studio with Joel. They continued their mission of maintaining the family-oriented, comfortable, creative vibe of Dreamland.
The best thing about Dreamland is that it offers remote recording services, so artists can achieve their recording needs from the comfort of their own homes. Artists can record tracks at home and send them to Dreamland for re-amping, analog processing, remote mixing, and more. Inside the studio, Dreamland is a residential recording space for artists to nurture their craft, with a fire pit inside surrounded by the upstate mountain breeze.
The lodge inside of Dreamland Recording Studio.
Gimme That Sound is a recording studio, occupying a refurbished Hudson Valley barn In Upstate New York’s historical hamlet of Stone Ridge in Ulster County. The studio is just a half hour south of Woodstock, and a little less than two hours from Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Owned and operated by Grammy-winning mixer/producer Stephen George, Gimme That Sound offers online Mixing, music production, in-house mixing, mastering, and recording services. The studio has produced music of all genres, from indie, hard-core, pop, rock, r&b, hip-hop, and gospel.
Before opening Gimme That Sound, George was a local Chicago musician, playing the drums for the band Ministry, and worked as Chief Engineer at Zomba / Jive Record’s “Battery Studios Chicago.” In 1998, George moved to New York City to expand his career. Recently, George relocated from Manhattan to the Hudson Valley, between the Catskill Mountains to the north and Shawangunk Mountains to the east.
The inside of Gimme That Sound Recording Studio.
Woodstock’s Levon Helm Studios has been producing music since 1975, and is named after the late Levon Helm, who gained fame as one of the three vocalists of The Band and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Home of Levon’s legendary Midnight Rambles, and situated on 18 acres in historic Woodstock, the barn-style Levon Helm Studios welcomes artists for intimate concerts, recording sessions, rehearsals, writing retreats, and private events. Other artists and bands who have recorded there include Elvis Costello, My Morning Jacket, and many more.
The outside of Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock.
New York’s Hudson Valley is home to Long Pond Recording Studios, where Taylor Swift has worked several times. The singer-songwriter has recorded her eighth studio album, Folklore, as well as her re-recorded version of her second studio album Fearless and fourth studio album Red. Long Pond’s incarnation began with musician Aaron Dessner having hope in his heart to move out of New York City with his family and find an oasis for the band The National. The main goal was to create a space that would encourage and inspire creativity for the creation of music. This process culminated with the band creating and recording their Grammy award-winning album Sleep Well Beast, using the Studio as the album cover and becoming the theme focal point of the marketing campaign created by Pentagram.
Platinum Productions in the Orange County Town of Monroe is a full-service recording studio and video production company serving clients throughout the Greater New York Metropolitan area and nationwide. The studio is located just one hour from New York City and has many musicians from all genres of music, including 2012 The Voice winner Jermaine Paul. Phil Bula, President of Platinum Productions, began as a young boy playing in brass bands with the Salvation Army and was featured on the game show I’ve Got a Secret a the age of nine. Bula grew and progressed into a professional musician before moving from the stage to the studio in 1978 and began working for popular artists including Billy Joel, Michael Bolton, and Whitney Houston. His work may be seen and heard on television shows produced by HBO, ABC, ESPN, USA Network, and Disney.
The mics set up in the studio at Platinum Productions.
These are among the several recording studios throughout the Hudson Valley of New York where aspiring musicians can produce music to make their musical dreams come true. If you know of another we missed, reach out to editors@nysmusic.com!
Michael Ian Cummings, former lead singer and songwriter of SKATERS, released his debut solo EP Oldest Troubles. The indie rock record is made up of five tracks where Cummings reflects on his own past experiences in a skillful way, as the listener is able to feel connected to each of his songs.
Oldest Troubles comes after Cummings took a six year hiatus from music. When Warner Brothers Records dropped his band SKATERS, Cummings felt disillusioned with the industry. He was left in the common place many musicians find themselves when the band life stops and needed to unplug, reset, and find his inspiration once again. Now, Cummings found that inspiration again. He also described making the album as “cathartic.”
“This was 100% for me to regain my balance in making and releasing music,” Cummings said in an interview. “And part of that was not doing things I didn’t feel good about in my gut. And whether that was a choice, like re-recording something so it sounds pristine, or keeping the live take, keeping the fucked up guitar that might be out of tune because it just felt better.”
His attitude paid off. While it may have been more for Cummings himself in how he recorded the EP, it also made the record better as a whole. In songs like “Contemporary Me,” the listener can feel more of his emotions because of how raw it sounds.
The title track, “Oldest Troubles,” reflects the melancholic feeling Cummings may have felt when writing and recording the song. The strings in the background only add to the beauty of the song, making it the most replay-able track on the record.
NYC-based house-meets-indie duo DJibouti and Feinte released their debut collaborative project, Run Riot on June 23. The EP is a vulnerable story of heartbreak that blossomed from an abundance of pent-up angst in Feinte’s world, all layered over pastel dance tracks. DJibouti’s expertise for creating fun, dance-yourself-clean new wave house music gave him the outlet to release that hurt.
DJibouti and Feinte met in a college Ottoman History class when they realized their shared love of music. DJibouti, a DJ and producer, is currently taking the New York City house scene by storm. Playing a groovy, eclectic mix of house and funk, he’s established himself as one of the the up-and-coming DJs out of the NYC scene. He burst onto the scene through underground raves and parties, already racking up over a million streams on Spotify alone.
Feinte has a range of influences. He is based in New York as an indie-tronica singer-songwriter, but grew up in Los Angeles and also spent time living in Berlin, London, and Tel Aviv.
Inspiration Behind Run Riot
After Feinte moved to Berlin, the project was put on pause until he returned to NYC. Through those six months, he experienced intense heartbreak. Quickly, he learned that the way they deal with it in Berlin is to dance through it. Run Riot invites everyone to dance through their pain with accessible but never boring four-on-the-floor beats.
“Every weekend I released all my excess emotions to a soundtrack of Sylvester, Skatebård, and Daphni. The collaborative aspect of the various dance floors gave me the feeling that I had people listening to everything I needed to say,” Feinte said speaking about his time in Berlin. With Run Riot, Feinte and DJibouti aim to recreate that feeling.
Of Run Riot, Feinte continues, “over the Spring and Summer of 2022, [DJibouti] would send me different beats, and I would smoke a little too much and dance over them. After a few demos, we realized we had a unique sound that the dance music world had never heard; The Indie-loverboy over the jazzy house keys and DJibouti Drums.”
Diana Ross, the legendary diva and iconic figure in the music industry, mesmerized a sold-out crowd at Radio City Music Hall during her Music Legacy Tour. The concert was a celebration of her numerous chart-topping hits, and it was an evening that will forever be etched in the memories of her fans.
Diana Ross at Radio City Music Hall 6.29.23
Accompanied by a magnificent 19-piece band, Diana Ross took the stage and immediately captivated the audience with her timeless charm and magnetic presence. The show was a true testament to her enduring talent and the incredible impact she has had on the world of music.
Throughout the evening, Ross graced the stage in five stunning costume changes, each one adding to the spectacle of the performance. Her elegant outfits perfectly complemented her larger-than-life persona, making her a vision of beauty and grace.
Diana Ross at Radio City Music Hall 6.29.23
In addition to performing her greatest #1 hits, Diana Ross took a moment to speak about her latest album, Thank You, which she recorded during the pandemic. With heartfelt sincerity, she expressed her gratitude to the audience, dedicating the album to each and every one of them. She shared her realization during the challenging times of the pandemic, acknowledging that true happiness could be found in the simplest thingsâbeing with loved ones and maintaining good health.
The setlist for the evening was a nostalgic journey through Diana Ross’s remarkable career. The crowd was treated to unforgettable renditions of classics such as “Come See About Me,” “Reflections,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” The performance also included gems like “Mirror, Mirror” and “I’m Still Waiting” from her 1970 album Everything is Everything. The energy soared during the disco hit “The Boss,” and Diana Ross playfully encouraged the crowd to get on their feet and dance.
Diana Ross at Radio City Music Hall 6.29.23
During the iconic song “Upside Down,” Diana Ross injected a dose of humor into the performance. Addressing her age, she exclaimed, “Move it or lose it… if I can move my body like this at 47… you know I’m 79, right?” Her vitality and enthusiasm were infectious, inspiring the audience to join in the celebration and embrace the joy of music.
Diana Ross’s Music Legacy Tour at Radio City Music Hall was a testament to her enduring talent and her indomitable spirit. Her enchanting presence, combined with her timeless hits, created an evening that will be treasured by her fans for years to come. The sold-out show served as a reminder of the impact she has had on the music industry and the love and admiration she continues to receive from audiences worldwide.
Setlist: I’m Coming Out, More Today Than Yesterday, Come See About Me, Reflections, You Can’t Hurry Love, Love Child, The Boss, Touch Me in the Morning, Mirror, Mirror, Upside Down, Chain Reaction, He Lives In You, I’m Still Waiting, Endless Love, Home, Love Hangover, Take Me Higher, Ease on Down the Road, Don’t Explain, God Bless the Child, Tomorrow, I Still Believe, If the World Just Danced, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, Theme From Mahogany, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, I Will Survive
In a year where hip hop is on a commercial downturn, it’s nice to see an essential part of the culture remains. This latest edition of rap beef kicked-off with Jim Jones challenging Pusha T’s validity among rap’s royalty on various hip hop platforms. However, it wasn’t Jones’ opinion on Pusha T that sparked the brouhaha, but rather his determined effort to make it seem like Pusha had little to no cultural relevance. With Jones saying, “Nobody has dressed like him. Nobody wants to be like Pusha T. I don’t remember nothing.”
Jim Jones vs Pusha T is hip hop’s latest beef
In turn, Pusha T’s expectedly cunning response created a moment on social media. In sinister tone and fashion, Push gave his reply at the Louis Vuitton fashion show, where record producer — and longtime Pusha T cohort — Pharell Williams debuted his collection as men’s creative director. With this intention, Pusha and his brother, No Malice, who make up Clipse, walked the runway in the show as their new track played. With the fabled duo sharing their first collaboration in 14 years.
Pusha T & Malice walking the LV runway for Pharrell’s new menswear collection to their new (rebuttal) track is a monumental moment. pic.twitter.com/MHPSf2utrb
Although the diss-record was previewed inconspicuously, the public pieced together the Jim Jones disses within the track. Addressing Jones’ comments, Push raps, “beware of my name, that there’s delegate/ You know I know where you’re delicate/ Crush you to pieces, I’ll hum a breath of it…I’m watching your fame escape relevance/ We all in a room but here’s the elephant/ You chasing a feature out of your element.”
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vFSAG90jYZo
By the same token, Push continuously attacks Jim for his own public financial troubles, while reminding of his own mercurial standing within his circle.
“And those lab diamonds under inspection/ The question marks block your blessings/ It’s no tombstones in the desert/ I know by now you get the message,” he goes on to say.
All in all, it was a masterful move by Push to withhold his reply until the time was right. Despite Jim Jones’ assertion that Pusha T held little relevance musically, here he is walking in a fashion show for one of the world’s preeminent brands to his own record, while A-list stars like Jay-Z and Beyoncé were seen boppin’ to the song in the crowd. Jones gave an instant reply on social media, although his perceived carefree attitude did little to sway fans, Jones needed to reply with bars and couldn’t finesse his way out of this one.
Bomb First, Jim Jones Replies
To Jim Jones’ credit, he did reply, albeit with a stellar yet not quite up-to-snuff effort when compared to his adversary. His “Summer Collection, From The Block” video performance saw the Dipset rapper try his hand at Pusha T’s beat. Altogether, Jim held his own with his brand of witty wordplay and street tales, however his flow and presence on the record failed to match Pusha T’s output. That is to say nothing of Jim’s own lyrical expertise as he had his own ammo for Push. Namely, attacking his street cred and claiming that he knew little of the drug dealing he rapped about and for his association with Ye, who helped Pusha launch his solo career on his Good Music label. But nonetheless, it seemed a mistake to rap over a beat that was curated specifically for Pusha and No Malice.
“These two roach niggas don’t know what to do in no raid/ Kanye gave you whips, but that’s what they do to the slaves/ you tryna act bad, but we ain’t doin’ charades/ I really have bombs on the block just like I threw a grenade.”
Jim Jones might have felt similar sentiments as he continued to hop on airwaves and diminish Pusha’s efforts. The one they call Capo phoned in to the Joe Budden Podcast and share more colorful sentiments about this battle. Namely, called Pusha T’s diss-track “cute” and claimed that things might get violent if Pusha goes to similar extents as he did in his beef with Drake. With Capo hilariously quipping “whose going to spin the block for him, Pharrell?”
What Comes Next?
Hopefully more music. Although with Push leading the vote in public opinion, Jim may need to double-down on his attacks to get ahead of things, but would he want to poke to proverbial bear? As things stand, what else can Jim Jones say as it relates to Pusha T? Despite his best efforts, the “Diet Coke” MC remains in the upper echelon of rappers. Altogether, Push has tallied an impressive resume, with platinum-selling albums as a member of the Clipse and as a solo artist. His last two albums, 2018’s DAYTONA and 2022’s It’s Almost Dry got him Grammy nominations and he is still one of the only artists that can snag a Jay – Z feature.
All things considered, Jims’s best bet is to throw a few haymakers and hope his witty-ness is able to catch the public’s ears, basically play the social media battle. Pusha T, meanwhile, seems to be more patient and isn’t as keen to respond through the media. After all, he knows he has the advantage lyrically. Moreover, his abrupt releases and ability to find his opponents hidden skeletons seems to leave foes on edge.
It was a night to celebrate 90s rock music on Sunday, as Counting Crows brought their Banshee Season Tour to CMAC on Sunday, July 2nd. The concert featured direct support from Dashboard Confessional.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since Counting Crows burst onto the music scene, releasing their multi-platinum debut album August and Everything After in 1993. The California natives have gone on to release seven more studio albums, along with numerous live albums.
Fronted by Adam Duritz (vocals), the band also features David Bryson (guitar), Charlie Gillingham (keyboards), Dan Vickery (guitar, pedal steel), David Immergluck (guitars), Jim Bogios (drugs) and Millard Powers (bass guitar). The band is touring in support of their latest release, Butter Miracle Suite One (2021).
Heavy showers swept across the concert facility minutes before gates opened on Sunday evening. This did not deter a passionate fan base from arriving early to take in opener Dashboard Confessional. Originally the solo-acoustic project of Chris Carrabba, it would morph into a full band in 2002, as Carrabba was asked to perform on MTV Unplugged. The added bandmates allowed Carrabba’s songwriting to take on new depths and sounds.
Just after 7:30, Carrabba and his band mates took to the stage, and were met with a heavy cheer from the audience. The band launched into the upbeat “Don’t Wait”, which delivered a call and echo vocals, to with the audience enthusiastically obliged. From there the band would perform “The Sharp Hint of New Tears”, a song from Carrabba’s 2000 debut release (with lyrics that showcase the origin of the band’s name). Once known for writing acoustic emo rock, with themes centering around heartbeat and loss, Carrabba and his mates delivered a 60 minute set, spanning the band’s twenty year catalog and was filled with songs of hope and self-triumph. The band would close out their set with perhaps their biggest hit, the high energy “Hands Down”, which saw his band mates jumping and leaping around the stage.
As the 9pm hour approached, a pedal steel guitar was wheeled to stage left. Moments later, the house lights would dim and Duritz and his bandmates took to the stage. A lone spotlight illuminated guitarist Dan Vickery as he began to pluck the hauntingly familiar guitar riff to “Round Here”, one of the band’s most well known songs. Additional lights would slowly illuminate the remaining members of the band as Duritz moved to the center of the stage to start delivering his poetic lyrics, at times acting out key moments in the song. As the song built on energy and emotion, the audience became engaged, belting out lyrics. The band continued to build on the energy and emotion, following up with the upbeat “Hard Candy” and then the familiar “Mr. Jones”.
While the band’s set would lean heavily on music from their early years, Duritz didn’t hide his excitement when they would perform tracks of the band’s latest two releases. Tracks like “God of Ocean Tides” and “The Tall Grass” hit home with the audience as well as the band’s early hits. The later portion of the band’s set saw them perform their latest release Butter Miracle Suite One in entirety. They would conclude the main set with the familiar classic “Long December” which saw the grounds illuminate with cell phone lights and erupted into an audience sing along.
Crowd pleas for an encore would be obliged by the band, as they would return to the stage and deliver a four song encore. Returning to the stage with “Time and Time Again,” a beautiful track of their debut release, Duritz’s voice proved to be strong as ever, as the chorus echoed through out the center. Chris Carrabba and his band would join the Counting Crows for the next piece of the encore, Dashboard Confessional’s 2006 hit “So Long, So Long” which saw Duritz provide a guest vocal appearance on the studio recording. Carrabba would return the vocal favor on the next song, trading lyrics with Duritz on the hit “Hangin’ Around”. Fans flocked to the aisles to sing and dance along, as Carrabba and Duritz bounced around the stage, singing and triumphantly trading high-fives with fans.
Counting Crows ‘Banshee Season’ Tour – CMAC, Canandaigua, NY – July 2, 2023
Setlist: Round Here, Hard Candy, Mr. Jones, Colorblind, Butterfly in Reverse, Omaha, Catapult, God of Ocean Tides, Friend of the Devil, Goodnight Elisabeth / Pale Blue Eyes, The Tall Grass, Elevator Boots, Angel of 14th Street, Bobby and the Rat-Kings, Rain King, A Long December
Encore: Time & Time Again, So Long, so long, Hanginaround, Holiday in Spain
On June 14th, Dave Matthews Band took the stage at Darien Lake, delivering an electrifying performance that left the crowd buzzing.
From the energetic opener “When the World Ends” to the soulful encore of “You Never Know” and “Shake Me Like a Monkey,” the band captivated the audience with their musical prowess and heartfelt lyrics. One of the highlights of the night was a fantastic version of “Don’t Drink the Water.” The song featured a weird and exploratory intro, which sounded similar to something you’d hear at a Phish show. As the venue is close a Native American reservation, the song about the slaughter and colonization of the Native Americans was extremely poignant.
As it often is, “Lie In Our Graves” was the standout of the night. Probably the longest song of the night, they stretched out the classic and the Darien Lake crowd loved it. The night was heavy with new songs from their recently released album, 2023’s Walk on the Moon, but it was also sprinkled with some deeper cuts to keep everyone happy.
From the infectious energy of their opening song to the soul-stirring encore, the band showcased their exceptional musicianship and their ability to create an unforgettable live experience.
Dave Matthews Band – Darien Lake, Darien Center, NY – June 14th 2023
Setlist: When the World Ends, Stay or Leave,Funny the Way It Is, All You Wanted Was Tomorrow, Madman’s Eyes, So Damn Lucky, Busted Stuff, Grey Street, Looking for a Vein, Don’t Drink the Water, The Space Between, Lie in Our Graves, Walk Around the Moon, Louisiana Bayou, Break Free, You Might Die Trying, Jimi Thing, Brick House (Commodores cover)
