Category: Features

My First Billy Strings First Show : 1st Bank Center In Broomfield, CO

Sometimes you need to head west in the winter to find some heat, and at 1st Bank Center on Saturday, February 4, that’s just what was found. Amid bitter cold back east, I flew out to Denver for a short weekend and experienced my first Billy Strings show.

This is not to say I’ve never seen Billy Strings perform – I first saw him at WinterWonderGrass in Stratton, VT in December 2018, after years of hearing the buzz about this Michigan bluegrass musician. It took until last summer to catch him a second time, during Outlaw Music Fest when it came to Saratoga Performing Arts Center. But I had never seen him in a regular show setting, and festival sets always give you a different experience than seeing the band for an evening with. Thus, this would be my first Billy Strings show, on the last night of his sold out three-night run in Broomfield, CO, and what a show it was.

Cutting to the chase here, Billy Strings, featuring Mr. Strings (guitar), Billy Failing (banjo), Royal Masat (bass), Jarrod Walker (mandolin), and Alex Hargreaves (fiddle), puts on one hell of a show. There wasn’t a dull moment, an unengaged fan or any feeling I was arriving to the show as an outsider – the crowd was welcoming, one that assured me afterwards that I got a heater at my first Billy show.

With a half an hour before show time (given the 815pm start time the previous two nights), our crew found ourselves on the floor about a third of the way from the front, stage right. With 15 minutes, 10 minutes and 5 minutes before showtime, a brief announcement came on the screens with the voice of god saying “X minutes until Fuzzy Rainbows” – a unique way to get the crowd prepared for the show at the same time the band is getting ready and heading to the stage. With all the shows I’d listened to of Billy Strings’, this was a brand new concept and one of those welcome surprises that did not disappoint.

Kicking off with two substance-tinged tunes, the ever popular “Dust in a Baggie” and “Heartbeat of America,” eyes were drawn to the video screens on either side of the stage. These made Billy and the band seem larger than life (by design), with the band-wide shot above the stage giving a horizontal frame to the band. For those way back in the audience, this was helpful as the five musicians side by side appeared so tiny after looking at the video screens of Giant Billy looking down on the crowd.

The hour long first set had an array of covers, with traditional tunes from Roy Acuff and Larry Sparks complemented by covers from The Moody Blues and John Hartford. Billy Strings’ blending of his own originals and covers that go back through the history of bluegrass, as well as non-bluegrass tunes is a great part of the appeal that makes the music so accessible to so many.

Alongside the video screens were the lights, which were another thing that could not translate to the audio-only experience, let alone festival sets. The lights were on par with the 20th Century Fox intro spotlights, continually shining all around, rotating and occassionally connecting with the disco ball way up in the rafters off stage left. This unexpected element to a bluegrass show gave a never-ending intertwining of lights, something you’d only see at a Greensky Bluegrass show.

After a not too long setbreak, set 2 came out swinging with an Oak Ridge Boys tune, a mellow and delightful “Watch It Fall” and the traditional “Cumberland Reel.” From there, the set picked up speed and never let up, dropping in with the dark as hell “Psycho” that segued smooth as silk into J.J. Cale’s “Ride Me High.” The Bad Livers’ tune “Pretty Daughter” – covered often by Yonder Mountain String Band – jumped up late in the set, with Billy moving from side to side on the stage, hamming it up a bit and watching his bandmates take solos. The closing “Turmoil & Tinfoil” rounded things out with a punch, with an all too brief encore of “Tennessee,” noted as the band’s destination for some recording, and not a sit-in with Phil Lesh and Friends the next day in Denver.

And with that, I checked my first Billy Strings show off the list, with assurance from the show and crowd that this would not be the last.

Billy Strings – 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, CO – Saturday, February 4, 2023

Set 1: Dust In A Baggie, Heartbeat of America, Along The Road (Dan Fogelberg), Streamlined Cannonball (Roy Acuff), The Fire On My Tounge > Know It All, John Deere Tractor (Larry Sparks), The Preacher & The Bear (Arthur Francis Collins), Wargasm, Nights In White Satin (The Moody Blues), This Old World, Bronzeback, All Fall Down (John Hartford), These Old Blues (Traditional)

Set 2: Dig A Little Deeper In The Well (The Oak Ridge Boys), Ice Bridges, Watch It Fall, Slow Train, Cumberland Reel (traditional), Psycho (Eddie Noack) > Ride Me High (J.J. Cale) The Train That Carried My Girl From Town (Doc Watson) > Black Mountain Rag, Love Like Me, Whisper Your Name (New Grass Revival), Pretty Daughter (Bad Livers), Nothing’s Working, Turmoil & TInfoil

Encore: Tennessee (Jimmy Martin)

February 9, 2023
Black History Files: Fotografiska Showcases 50 years of Hip Hop

History is said to repeat itself. In fact, we study textbooks and learn from our past as a means of avoiding it. In the case of hip hop, a genre that began as a social movement by-and-for the local community of African, Latino, and Caribbean Americans, we’ve had the luxury of having monumental moments captured for us by some of histories greatest orators. 50 years after its inception, the best rap songs are time capsules into their respective eras. Keeping in theme, Swedish photography museum Fotografiska have decided to chronicle hip hop’s emergence for its 50th anniversary. From its creation in the Bronx in 1973 and culminating in the worldwide phenomenon it has become 50 years later.

Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious chronicles the genre beginning with its origin in the Bronx

What is Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious?

Created in partnership with Mass Appeal, Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious delves deep into the genres origins, identifying the individual creatives involved in the movement. It is a fitting name considering the intended and inadvertent effect of what is now the world’s most popular genre. Located in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park neighborhood, the show’s layout is by chronology and geography. Additionally, the exhibition brings audiences through five decades of history, culminating in recent imagery of today’s biggest names.

Beginning with formative figures such as DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash, the display captures the era’s larger cultural climate, painting a picture of wthe influential factors that helped inspire the genre’s proprietors. Correspondingly, the show’s imagery features breakdancers, graffiti artist, b-boys and even gang culture which Sacha Jenkins — the exhibition’s co-curator –explains “was the precursor to hip-hop in terms of creating an identity for yourself,” especially regarding the culture’s core philosophies around self-identification.

Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious runs from January 26 until May 21, with focus areas that include the early years, the regional and stylistic diversification; and the turning point when hip hop became a billion-dollar industry. In like manner, the set of women who trailblazed hip hop’s male-dominated environment are also extensively documented.

Women’s contributions to hip hop are celebrated thoughout the exhibition.

We made a thoughtful effort to have the presence of women accurately represented, not overtly singling them out in any way,
– Sally Berman, co-curator of Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious

You’ll turn a corner and there will be a stunning portrait of Eve or a rare and intimate shot of Lil’ Kim that most visitors won’t have seen before. There are far fewer women than men in hip-hop, but the ones that made their mark have an electrifying presence—just like the effect of their portraits interspersed throughout the show.
-Sally Berman

Why should you go see this exhibit?

Hip Hop’s comeuppance is no small feat. What began as humble break parties in the Bronx has emerged to inspire millions around the globe. It’s representation of youthful urban culture is now the cultural norm. However, for those who trail-blazed the movement, hip hop meant freedom and the ability to express unfiltered thoughts and emotions. Sadly, time has faded the memory of the movement’s many vanguards. Several key figures played roles in amplifying this energy shifting movement and now many of these forgotten pioneers will get their proper due.

In addition to the genre’s periphery figures, world-famous photos like Geoffroy de Boismenu’s 1994 portrait of Christopher “Biggie” Wallace staring at the camera with an off-center blunt in his mouth, Run DMC’s feet under the table at The Fresh Fest press conference, a 20-year-old Mary J. Blige in New York, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean on an East Harlem rooftop while shooting the music video for
“Vocab” and many more iconic photos will feature heavily throughout the show.

It’s easy to forget that there was a time before hip-hop was an industry and before it made money. It wasn’t conscious of itself. It was just existing with young people living their lives, dressing as they did, trying to entertain themselves with limited resources and creating an aesthetic that registered amongst themselves. It wasn’t for the world; it was for a very specific community. Then there was an exponentially paced transition where hip-hop culture became a conscious of itself as an incredibly lucrative global export. The exhibition’s lifeblood is the period before hip-hop knew what it was.
– Sacha Jenkins, exhibition co-curator and Chief Creative Officer of Mass Appeal

Information about Fotografiska New York and Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious can be found here.

February 9, 2023
Hayley Jane and the Hold On Honeys Share ‘The Weight’ in Albany

Captivating the audience with beautiful harmonies and songs of both heartbreak and hope, Hayley Jane and the Hold On Honeys put on a stellar performance at Lark Hall in Albany on February 2nd. Collaborating with each other for the first time and trading sit-ins, the immediate chemistry between these two respective acts could be felt by everyone in the room.

Haley Jane performs with Troy, NY’s Hold On Honeys at Lark Hall on 2/2/2023

Kicking off the show were Troy natives The Hold On Honeys, an indie folk minimalist vocal trio comprised of Emily Curro, Raya Malcolm and Shannon Rafferty. Trading leads and singing to their strengths, each member of the Honeys’ was given an equal chance to shine, but the true beauty came when this pitch-perfect trio sang together as one. After serenading the highly receptive audience with songs like “Case of You,” “Lullaby,” and “Maple Lane,” tender ballads about finding love and losing it, the gals then showed their more optimistic and fun-loving side with “Get High,” before sending us to intermission with “Down Home Girl.” A very enjoyable set, but it wouldn’t be the last time we’d see this promising up-and-coming act.

The Hold On Honeys opened the show at Lark Hall on 2/2/2023

After a quick break in the action, it was officially time for Hayley Jane to grace the Lark Hall stage. A familiar face to the Albany crowd, Jane has been playing the area for years, mostly with The Primates behind her, or as part of Yes Darling with Ryan Montbleau. For this run however, Hayley enlisted an equally talented group of Burlington, VT based players that featured Josh Dobbs on keyboards and the former Swimmer rhythm section of Jack Vignone handling bass and Cotter Ellis on drums.

Opening her set with “Look to the Moon,” the pace quickly picked up when Hayley went into a bit of medley of mashup cover songs. Touching on a Cowboy Junkies-esq rendition of “Blue Moon Revisited” that took a ‘tasty’ left turn into the Italian classic “That’s Amore,” before eventually paying homage to the Grateful Dead with a beautiful version of “Ramble on Rose.”

Haley Jane gives up her secrets at Lark Hall on 2/2/2023

Inviting you in with her undeniable charisma and vulnerability, Jayne’s storytelling between numbers left you feeling like you actually knew her. Looking around the room, you literally could see an entire audience falling in love. Working her way through a few songs from her most recent solo album, “Road Map” and “Soul Shaken,” from 2021’s Late Bloom, one of the most powerful and emotional highlights of the night came next when Hayley Jane performed “For Someone Who Needs It,” a song about depression, loneliness and reaching out for help. Fan shot footage of that can be seen below.

Taking her listeners on a humble journey, Hayley would tell the audience she was raised as a Baptist, and despite some groans, would give credit to her church choir for teaching her to sing. After belting out stellar versions of “Ignite” and “Madeline,” another of Jane’s favorite covers, Gregory Alan Isakov’s “Big Black Car” was next. Revealing a little more about herself, Jane would say the best thing she ever did was stop caring what other people think about her.

Essentially freeing her to be who she really is while also allowing a natural relationship to develop with the audience, Hayley confessed that “nerds rock” and are also “better in bed.” “Loose Screws” and “Madam Humphrey” would take a little walk on the wild side before Haley would play a new one called “Assembly of Words,” a song that was written while living in California and simultaneously going through the pandemic and a tough break-up. Some of her most vulnerable lyrics yet, afterwards she would admit to “feeling nervous” and “naked” during that one.

Hayley Jane and the Hold On Honeys captivate an intimate Lark Hall crowd on 2/2/2023

Picking the pace back up with another rocker from The Primates 2014 album Gasoline was “Hey Mister,” followed by an unreleased new song that was recently recorded with members of The Main Squeeze called “Girl.” Instead of leaving the stage and returning ala your typical encore however, Hayley would invite the members of the opening act, Hold On Honeys, to join her on stage for the remainder of the night. What then transpired was pure magic. Playing in Levon country and rambling together for the first time, Hayley and the Honeys’ uncorked an absolutely beautiful version of The Bands’ classic song “The Weight,” a rite of passage in this part of New York.

Feeling the combined energy of the women on stage, Hayley beamed with pleasantries for her new gal pals, even claiming she’d love to take them out on the road with her. As the curfew came and went, Jane would quickly check with Lark Hall staff if it was “Alright” to play one more. Once given the green light, Haley would quickly teach the Honey’s the chorus to the final song of the evening, “Make It Alright,” which was then jammed out to perfection, fusing multiple genres and stretching its legs all the way to the 15-minute mark and included “Wild Thing” teases for good measure.

Haley and the Honeys made a cold February night more than alright at Lark Hall 2/23/

After thanking everyone for coming out and wishing them well on their way home, the girls would convene near the center of the stage for a group hug and shared smiles. An exceptional performance all around and yet another reason to never miss a Thursday show at Lark Hall. An evening filled with genre bending, thought provoking, and at times heartbreaking music. Honest storytelling and songwriting, surprise collaborations, dancing, and beautiful down- home harmonies. Great medicine for these modern times indeed. While it remains to be seen how serious Jane is about taking her new friends out on the road, what we do know is that ‘Hayley and the Hold On Honeys’ sure has a nice ring to it.

Haley Jane | Albany, NY | 2/2/2023 | Lark Hall
Setlist: Look to the Moon, Ramble on Rose, Roadmap, For Someone Who Needs It, Ignite, Madeline, Big Black Car, Loose Screws, Soul Shaken, Madam Humphrey, Assembly of Words, Hey Mister, Girl

Encore: The Weight, Make It Alright
*Grateful Dead cover
**Gregory Alan Isakov cover
***The Band cover featuring The Hold On Honeys
**** Featuring The Hold On Honeys

Hold On Honeys | Albany, NY | 2/2/2023 | Lark Hall
Setlist: Wisely, Calling All My Children, TN River, Chicago, Getting Home, Case of You, Lullaby, I’m On Fire, Maple Lane, Knowing, Get High, Down Home Girl

February 9, 2023
The Killers and Foo Fighters to Headline Sea.Hear.Now 2023

The fifth installment of the Sea.Hear.Now festival will be returning to its familiar grounds along the picturesque waterfront in Asbury Park, New Jersey on September 16-17, 2023. The annual two-day music festival will be headlined by alternative rockers The Killers on Saturday and 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Foo Fighters on Sunday.

Produced by Tim Sweetwood of C3 Presents (Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza), along with iconic rock photographer Danny Clinch, his good pal Tim Donnnelly (a music journalist turned promoter) and HM Wollman (an industry veteran), the festival is a celebration of live music, art and surf culture.

A packed beach audience enjoying live music on the Surf Stage (2022) | Photo by Michael Dinger

The Killers, in support of their two most recent studio albums (2020’s Imploding The Mirage and 2021’s Pressure Machine), will be back on the road this spring with a March 16 kick-off in nearby Atlantic City, New Jersey. The 11-date tour for these Las Vegas natives formed in 2001 will include three shows in Mexico, as well as an appearance at Shaky Knees on May 5 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Foo Fighters, who are officially returning to the stage in 2023 after the tragic death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in March of last year, will also be making two festival appearances in May – Boston Calling and the Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio – as well as Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee on June 18.

Pearl Jam performing at the 2021 festival | Photo by Michael Dinger

Patti Smith performing at the 2021 festival | Photo by Michael Dinger

The Smashing Pumpkins performing at the 2021 festival | Photo by Michael Dinger

Billy Idol performing at the 2021 festival | Photo by Michael Dinger

The festival’s lineup will feature 50+ artists across three stages (two in the sand and one in Bradley Park), including Greta Van Fleet, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and Sheryl Crow on Saturday and Weezer, Rebelution, Mt. Joy, The Beach Boys and The Breeders on Sunday.

Cage the Elephant performing at the 2022 festival | Photo by Michael Dinger

Boy George performing at the 2022 festival | Photo by Michael Dinger

IDLES performing at the 2022 festival | Photo by Michael Dinger

The Backseat Lovers performing at the 2022 festival | Photo by Michael Dinger

In addition to the music scene taking place on both of the beach stages, festivalgoers can also experience artwork created by the musicians performing over the weekend, including impromptu sets, at the Transparent Clinch pop-up gallery in Bradley Park. And if that weren’t enough, the weekend will also include a professional team surf contest known as the “North Beach Rumble.”

A portion of the festival’s proceeds is also donated to grassroots, non-profit environmental organizations and community charities such as the Surfrider Foundation, Operation Beachhead, Clean Ocean Action, Garden State Equality and Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County, to name only a few.

Gary Clark Jr. performing at the 2022 festival | Photo by Michael Dinger

Courtney Barnett performing at the 2022 festival | Photo by Michael Dinger

Ticket presale for Sea.Hear.Now 2023 begins this Thursday, February 9 at 10:00 am EST. Available options include 1-Day and 2-Day tickets (General Admission, GA+, VIP and Platinum), plus a 2-Day Ultimate Experience. Layaway Pans, starting at $20, will also be made available for all ticket types. For additional information, including presale code sign-up details, visit seahearnowfestival.com.

Excited fans during Wet Leg’s set at the Park Stage (2022) | Photo by Michael Dinger

2023 Daily Lineups:

Saturday (September 16)

The Killers

Greta Van Fleet

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Sheryl Crow

Tash Sultana

Royal Blood

Bob Moses

Cory Wong

Oteil & Friends

Living Colour

Babe Rainbow

Surfer Girl

Snacktime

Quincy Mumford

Yawn Mower

Sunday (September 17)

Foo Fighters

Weezer

Rebelution

Mt. Joy

The Beach Boys

The Breeders

Tegan & Sara

Stephen Sanchez

Joey Valence & Brae

Adam Melchor

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country

Easy Star All-Stars

Sunflower Bean

Waiting On Mongo

Alexander Simone & Whodat?

February 9, 2023
Gord Downie & Bob Rock Share New Single “The Moment is a Wild Place”

The late Gord Downie & Canadian producer Bob Rock have just released their latest single “The Moment Is A Wild Place.” The epic rock duo has also just announced their upcoming album Lustre Parfait, the ninth album to bear Downie’s name outside of The Tragically Hip, and the first to bear Rock’s.

The single is a long-fabled collaboration between Gord Downie, late front man of legendary Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, and GRAMMY® Award-winning producer/musician Bob Rock. Their partnership began in 2006 when Rock produced The Tragically Hip’s acclaimed 10th studio album, World Container, followed in 2009 by the chart-topping We Are The Same.

Robert Jens Rock, record producer, engineer, guitarist, and songwriter has produced and engineer top-selling albums by such timeless artists as Metallica, Bon Jovi, The Tragically Hip, The Cult, Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith, Cher, Loverboy, Bryan Adams, Simple Plan, Michael Bublé and many others. He is known for his robust, radio-friendly production touch and the intuition to play to an artist’s character and strengths, Rock is perhaps best known for his long-standing role as producer for Metallica.

“I’ve always been a fan of long pieces of music,” says Bob Rock. “Setting a mood and going someplace, just taking you somewhere. The music was based on that journey, this rising tide of chords, crescendos in the chorus. Somehow, I stumbled on this magic chord, a simple minor to a major progression, and it moved me. And Gord reacted to it. It’s absolute perfection in terms of songwriting and in terms of what he did. It’s special because of what he talks about. The lyric was written before he was diagnosed with the sickness that he had. They say you gotta live in the moment. It causes you to look back, and I get choked up every time I hear it, still. I think most people will be moved by it. It’s one of his finest moments.”

More than a decade in the making, Lustre Parfait sees Downie’s peerless lyricism and incendiary heart given newfangled energy by his longtime friend and collaborator, famed producer/musician Bob Rock.

Gord Downie is the late lead singer and songwriter of The Tragically Hip, who, over more than 30 years and across fourteen studio albums, built an enduring legacy as perhaps the essential Canadian rock band. With seven solo albums to his name, Downie’s own music refutes definition, renowned for its adventurous poetry, collaboration, elastic composition, and singular vocal wail.

Unfortunately, Downie passed away on October 17^th, 2017. Since his passing, The New York Times stated that Downie has “no parallel in the United States. Imagine Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Michael Stipe combined into one sensitive, oblique, poet-philosopher, and you’re getting close.”

“First and foremost Gord was my friend,” continues Rock, “and having the opportunity to work with him on these songs was one of the biggest highlights of my professional life. I am grateful that I got to witness his genius in such close proximity.”

To listen to “The Moment Is A Wild Place,” click the link here.

To preorder the upcoming album Lustre Parfait, click the link here.

February 8, 2023
Bandits on the Run Release “You Have Changed” and Announce Tour

Formed upon a chance encounter while busking in the subways of New York City, Bandits on the Run have released their newest single, “You Have Changed,” on February 2nd. Thus, marking a new phase of Banditry; this is the first release that they have self-produced, and offers a taste of what’s to come on the follow-up record to 2021’s acclaimed EP, Now Is The Time.

“‘You Have Changed’ is about being torn apart, begrudging acceptance, and lingering love. It’s about the uncontrollable wellspring of grief that comes swooping in when life smacks you in the face, and you’re just not ready for it,” the band reveals. Written at a moment of uncertainty, when their futures seemed tenuous, they say that the creation of the song was a mediation on accepting reality. “It felt like the world was caving in under us and all of a sudden everything we loved and held onto had changed.” It’s evident that those feelings resonate with listeners.

“When we perform this song, people tend to open their hearts to us and share their stories of change and loss. For some people, ‘You Have Changed’ is about a loved one that’s passed, or a lover that’s left, or a storm that’s finally clearing up. We love that it takes on a new meaning with every person who hears it, and is about whatever is changing in their life at the moment.”

“Bandits on the Run capture the urgency of the moment… harmony rich… [with] a rousing atmosphere.”
– Rolling Stone

Comprised of Adrian Blake Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn, the Brooklyn-based indie-pop-Americana trio is anchored by three-part harmonies and eclectic instrumentation. This includes accordion, cello, melodica, and a suitcase-kick-drum.

Their most recent EP, Now Is The Time, was produced by Ryan Hadlock (Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers), and surrounding that release, the band produced a short musical film, Band At The End Of The World. They’ve also gone on to compose music for the Netflix children’s animated series, Storybots, score the newest Peter Hedges movie, The Same Storm, and tour the globe with appearances at the Cambridge Folk Festival, Floydfest, Milwaukee Summerfest, Americanafest, and the Singapore Grand Prix.

In addition, they stay in touch with their theatrical roots: Strayhorn is a freelance casting director currently working with The Telsey Office, Shepherd is a Broadway veteran who graced the stage in the world premiere of the musical August Rush, and Enscoe starred opposite Hailee Steinfeldin the AppleTV+ show, Dickinson, and on stage in Swept Away (by The Avett Brothers).

Their next release will be their most collaborative yet: a self-produced EP featuring various and sundry bandit friends that explores the tensions of a world that has been broken open but is putting itself back together.

Coinciding with the release of “You Have Changed,” Bandits on the Run kick off a midwestern tour with several performances at Folk Alliance. A video for the single is coming soon.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
2/2 – 2/4: Folk Alliance at Marriot Crown Center (Kansas City, MO)
2/3: Tiny Concert at Effing Candle Co. (Kansas City, MO)
2/6: Bishop Hill Community Commons (Bishop Hill, IL)
2/8: Rhythms & Brews @ Gibson Music Community Center (Appleton, WI)
2/9: Epiphany Center For The Arts (Chicago, IL)
2/10: Rose Bowl (Urbana, IL)
2/11: Bradley University (Peoria, IL)

To purchase tickets and for more details about Bandits on the Run, click the link here.

February 7, 2023
In Focus: Mac Saturn at Empire Live

On Sunday, February 5th, 2023, Mac Saturn gave the young teens of Empire Live Underground a show worth missing the Grammys. Opening with rising star, Billy Tibbals, the show kicked off to a roaring start.

Carson Macc of Mac Saturn at Empire Live Underground – Photo by Jarron Childs

Coming from England, then moving to L.A. in his teens, Billy Tibbals has been chasing his dreams of being the next rockstar. Drawing inspiration from The Beatles, David Bowie, and The Damned; Billy and his band has a very vintage style of rock-n-roll that really electrifies the stage. His hopes are to get the youth off their phones and back to enjoying each other in person. He has 3 singles available currently on streaming services and plans to release in first album in April.

The Billy Tibbals Band began the night strong and loud. With a style copied and pasted from a 70’s GQ magazine, Billy lead his sharply dressed band to an electric and energetic start. Things took a slow turn with a song titled “3am” about Tibbals’ younger sister. But it did not last for long as he really played his heart out for his potential new fan base. After the show, he was selling vinyls of his upcoming album, Stay Teenage, before it hits streaming services.

Billy Tibbals of The Billy Tibbals Band at Empire Live Underground – Photo by Jarron Childs

Mac Saturn, of Detroit, took the stage not soon after Billy’s 45 minute set. This was both their first national tour and their first time in Albany. They originally formed back in 2014 at a Christmas party and soon became a sextet of mixed instruments and vocals. They released a five song EP, Until the Money Runs Out, last August and plans to release a new single hopefully sometime later this year.

Keeping on the trend of vintage, Mac Saturn’s lead vocalist, Carson Macc, came out ice cold in a blazer his grandfather probably wore and rough 70s mullet. Though the crowd was small, they had the amplitude of a thousand screaming teens at Govball. Macc had them singing the lyric’s of “Ain’t Like You” back to them with ease.

Guitarist Mike Moody of Mac Saturn at Empire Live Underground – Photo by Jarron Childs

Though Macc took frequent breaks off stage, it gave more time for guitarist, Mike Moody, to really rock the crowd with gut wrenching solos. They performed a cover of Charles Brown Mint Julep shortly before ending with their number one song, “Plain Clothes Gentleman.” They really held a powerful presence for their last song, really sucking the crowd in with phenomenal instrumentals and partying with the fans.

They continue their tour with another New York stop at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo on February 9th. Their tour ends in their home state of Michigan with two shows in Ann Arbor on the weekend of April 1st.

Mac Saturn Setlist: Diamonds, Paradiso, Persian Rugs, Boxcutter, Get on the Phone, Ain’t Like You, Sleep, Mint Julep, 5 Long Minutes, Mr. Cadillac, That’s Business, Plain Clothes Gentleman

February 7, 2023
Angel Olsen and Erin Rae Warm Hearts at Asbury Hall in Chilly Buffalo

On a frigid Buffalo February, fabulous female folkies fed off frantic fans for fantastic fun. F yeah! Angel Olsen and the Big Band were in town at Babeville’s Asbury Hall, and they had Erin Rae along to open the show.

Rae, a Nashville-based singer/songwriter, was back in Buffalo for only the second time, waiting about 10 years for her return. Her last visit was a house show in front of just 7 people. Asbury Hall, an old converted church with seemingly endless height, and an attentive full house, was quite the jump up. One woman, one guitar and a ton of space to fill with a lot of ears and minds to reach. But Rae was able to command the crowd like they were just a handful in a living room. Maybe it was the spirit of her great grandmother who won woman of the year in Buffalo some 50-odd years ago lifting her up, but more likely it was Rae’s stellar skills put into practice.

And there was more to celebrate then just a long-awaited return to Buffalo. It was the one-year anniversary of her latest album, Lighten Up. She of course played liberally from it, opening with “Cosmic Sigh,” working a nice bit of mouth trumpeting in “Candy & Curry,” and closing up with “Lighten Up and Try.” She also tucked a couple older ones in, like “Can’t Cut Loose” and the enchanting “June Bug” from Putting on Airs.

Headliner Angel Olsen was also coming through with a nearly year-old album, having put out Big Time back in June. An album called “Big Time” warrants a big band, and Olsen had it covered with a seven-piece that included violin, cello, bass, drums, guitar, keys and herself on vocals, guitars ,and keys.

The story behind this latest release is Olsen’s turn toward classic country. Olsen delivered on that in spades, showing range on acoustic and electric guitars, her voice soaring and punctuated, soft and gentle, whatever it need be to drive home songs like “Dream Thing” and “Ghost On.” During both “Right Now” and “Go Home” the energy swelled and crashed multiple times like incoming waves, Olsen steered her crew deftly through voice and guitar.

The makeup of the band allowed for a flexible sound, and they flexed that muscle powering through some older material. They showed a poppier edge on “Shut Up and Kiss Me,” immediately flipped into grunge on “Give It Up,” then teetered into new wave on “All Mirrors.” Later in set, “Lark” provided fireworks. The fiddle, cello and bass opened in a humming drone, which led into more undulating ebbs and flows which strengthened with each passing chorus, until a final explosion left the same starting drone in its wake.

Olsen felt comfortable toying with her audience. She promised a premiere of a new song she wrote earlier that day, only to reveal it as a joke. Then she offered to play a request only to rebuff them all and play what she wanted instead. Though it may have only endeared her even more to the crowd. And really, what wasn’t to love?

After the final frame finished, fans filed from the festive fling, feeling fabulous. F yeah indeed.

Setlists

Erin Rae: Cosmic Sigh, Gonna Be Strange, California Belongs to You, Can’t Cut Loose, June Bug, Candy & Curry, Bad Mind, True Love’s Face, Modern Woman, Lighten Up and Try

Angel Olsen: Dream Thing, Big Time, Ghost On, Right Now, Shut Up and Kiss Me, Give It Up, All Mirrors, Go Home, Through the Fires, Lark, Sister, Those Were the Days, All the Good Time, Chance E: Without You (Harry Nilsson)

February 7, 2023
Mmeadows share “When We Are Together We Are Really Free” off debut album

NYC‘s mmeadows have shared “When We Are Together We Are Really Free,” the final single from their debut album Light Moves Around You, which was released on Friday, February 3rd. The prog-pop duo will also be performing an album release show May 6th at Baby’s All Right.

Vocalist Kristin Slipp’s (Dirty Projectors) vocals weave seamlessly through Cole Kamen-Green’s production (walls of horns, synths, and piano) for a sound that’s mysterious, mercurial, and fearless. The track cements their trademark style, a permeable mix of sounds both fluid and rhythmic, organic and electronic.

The song is accompanied by a video filmed in an abandoned church, lending a visual atmosphere at once carefree and ominous, a perfect match for the track and the album as a whole.

“[“King of the Castle”] It’s a catchy, unpredictable dose of art pop…”
– BrooklynVegan

The track is accompanied by a bold video directed by Haoyan of America, in which the duo performs the song in an abandoned church. Complete with glow stick dance parties and colorful tarot cards, it creates an atmosphere at once carefree and ominous, a perfect match for the track and the album as a whole: mysterious, mercurial, and fearless.

Their singular alt-pop songcraft is ultimately the synthesis of complementary talents, mutual trust, and years of partnership. Light Moves Around You reflects this connection; a dynamic and deeply-honed collection of pop songs that silence chaos and celebrate the tender acts of making space.

“With community heavy on my mind during early days of the pandemic, but not within physical reach, I set out to write a song that I might play during one of a handful of virtual dance parties we hosted,” Slipp says. “The catharsis of sharing digital space with my friends during such a surreal time was powerful and lasting, and that energy motivated us to make this track super danceable, brimming with feeling, and short enough to demand an immediate repeat listen.”

Upcoming mmeadows Live Dates:

April 26^th – Los Angeles, CA @ Gold Diggers
May 6^th – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
Tickets go on sale Friday, February 3^rd at 10am Local Time. To purchase tickets, click the link here.

February 6, 2023
Spafford Bring the Jams to Buffalo Iron Works

Jam rock band Spafford made a stop in Buffalo for their winter tour on Tuesday, January 31st. The group has traveled all over the country in honor of their latest album release Simple Mysteries. This 4^th studio album of theirs was recorded throughout the course of the pandemic and now gets to be played for fans everywhere.

Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

Firstly Litz opened up the funk filled night at Buffalo Iron Works. Their use of various musical influences allows listeners to sonically transport. The group utilizes funky horn riffs, pounding bass, and progressive rhythms that just make people easily drawn to their energy.

Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

Spafford then later took the stage and gave the crowd an awe-inspiring performance. The members include Brian Moss (guitar/vocals), Jordan Fairless (bass/vocals), Cory Schechtman (keys/vocals), Nick Tkachyk (drums/vocals). They first played “Funkadelic” followed by “The Remedy.”

Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

Watching Spafford’s improvisational abilities and ways they create rhythms on stage is astonishing. These festival regulars know exactly how to put on a show and use their extended musical palette to create off-the-cuff extended jams. Their cover of Primitive Radio Gods song, “Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand,” exhibited exactly how each of these musicians communicate with one another through a single note to create a journey through their music.

Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

The quartet played late into the night and ended their set with their song, “The Reprise.” It fully encapsulated the night of groovy tunes and the range of influences that this band uses. Spafford left the venue full of fans impressed and ready for more.

Photo credit: Maddie McCafferty

This February is stacked for shows at Buffalo Iron Works! On Febuary 10 Savage Society Takeover comes and also Dirty Work performs February 11. Tickets can be found here, don’t miss out!

Set 1: Funkadelic, The Remedy, Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand, Funkenseven

Set 2: Pursuit of Madness, Windmill, Lovesick Melody, Soil, America

Encore: The Reprise

February 6, 2023