Gregory McLoughlin, a bassist and songwriter living in Jersey City, has recently released his latest single, “Woody Guthrie,” a song reflecting on struggles and the healing power of music.
Gregory writes and records as a solo artist, in addition to writing for artists including Beeman & Bannon, BuzzUniverse, Julia Kirk, Ross Sandler, Anthony Tamburro, Abbe Rivers, Johnny Bullitt, Anna Oh and others. He also performs in the tri-state area with his band, Gregory McLoughlin & the Lemonade Band.
McLoughlin didn’t set out to write about Woody Guthrie, and the song isn’t about the famous folk legend, he is just the destination where the songwriting took him. McLoughlin wrote the song in his head on a day in February 2021 during solitary gondola rides up and down Bellayre Mountain mid-pandemic.
“I feel like a lot of it started with Woody Guthrie, after all, he was Bob Dylan’s number one and Dylan‘s music certainly has healed many lost souls,” shared McLoughlin, adding “It’s a song I wrote reflecting on personal struggles I’ve been through and struggles of loved ones who I empathize with. It’s about how music can heal.”
Recorded a few months after, McLoughlin recently released the single on all platforms in July.
Listen to “Woody Guthrie” from Gregory McLoughlin
Next up for McLoughlin is a on December 30th before Dark Star Orchestra with The Lemonade Band. Get tickets here.
You can catch Gregory perform an online virtual concert, every Monday night at 8 PM EST on his YouTube Live Page.
On October 31, The Paper Kites and touring guest The Roadhouse Band performed together at New York City’s Racket. On their North American Tour, The Paper Kites are celebrating their new record At The Roadhouse, an artistic project birthed between the four walls of a dive bar in Australia that fans all across the world are holding close to their hearts today.
With the epitome of an autumnal sound combined with the holiday atmosphere, The Paper Kites pulled in the proper crowd: costume-enthusiast folk fanatics.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
A crowd with creative costume ideas slowly filled the warehouse venue in the Meatpacking District. Spiderman, Peach and Mario, and plenty of Bob Dylan‘s mingled while awaiting the opening set. At 8:00 PM, The Cactus Blossoms casually strummed into their first song. With only an acoustic and an electric guitar paired with soothing vocals, the duo provided a warm opening performance. They expressed their gratitude to be on their first ever tour, and even more so they praised The Paper Kites for the opportunity and their musical influence.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
Shortly after the Cactus Blossoms made their way off the stage, the stage crew decorated the space with an arsenal of instruments. True to The Paper Kites’ rich production value, each instrument that can be intentionally heard on their newest album was prepped and ready to be used on stage. Multiple forms of percussion, a collection of strings, an organ, electric keys, and the iconic vintage-looking microphone sat waiting to be given life.
Once their signature drapes were hung across the back of the stage, the lights dimmed and each band member made their way onto stage. Eight people on stage seemed like it would be tight, but the congealed bands stitched together comfortably, and so did their sound.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
The traditional lead of an acoustic guitar through their melody was threaded with the most intentional additions of twangy strings of banjos and mandolins, the romantic hum of the organ, the tune of the harmonica, and the heartbeat of various drums. If there’s one thing The Paper Kites are, it is consistent – consistently impressive. With a memorable setlist it can become difficult to entertain returning fans, but The Paper Kites routinely delivers a unique listening experience that bends the confines of genre labels through experimentation and passion.
On stage stood eight music connoisseurs. Lead vocalist; Sam Bentley, on the guitar and the banjo; Dave Powys, on the pedal steel and guitar; Matt Dixon, on drums; Josh Bentley, on the bass; Sam Rasmussen, on the organ and percussion; Hannah Cameron, on strings and cowbell; Chris Panousakis, and the multi-instrumentalist and vocalist; Hadley Kennary.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
From their last performance in New York City at Williamsburg Music Hall, their audience has grown – not just in size, but in comfortability. Throughout the show, fans openly conversed with each other and the band members in a respectful manner. Cooing that the song being performed was the song that was playing when they met the love of their life, or politely begging for their favorite oldies to be played. The Paper Kites’s lead vocalist, Sam Bentley, joked and reminisced with the audience all evening. It was truly refreshing, especially for a typically quiet audience.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
Midway through their performance, The Paper Kites quintuplet and The Roadhouse Band gathered around their signature microphone to sing a stripped version of the Kite’s hit “Bloom” from their oldest record “Woodland.” This is a treasured moment during a Paper Kites performance. Their sound becomes almost tangible in the room, with raw harmonies and only root instrumentals. A wash of peace laid over the audience, for their attention was devoted to the intimate production happening on stage.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
An applause full of raised hands in praise and hollers from the chest lasted for over a minute. Smiles overtook The Paper Kites’ faces as they made room once more for The Roadhouse Band. Each of the string players made the swap for more bassy instruments as Sam Bentley edged, “Now this is the part of the set where we play some louder songs.” As soon as the first chord of Dave Powys’ electric guitar ripped, the strobe lights were released into motion across the faces in the crowd.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
One of their new songs, “Black & Thunder,” was a crowd favorite. The soulful riffs and plunge of the bass emitted a similar sound to that of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon.” On stage the band members tapped their feet to the beat and visibly felt the command of their instruments, as they swayed and jolted their shoulders.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
After a few songs, they returned home to their usual earthy gentle tone to close out the show. They sang songs from their record “On The Train Ride Home” that references New York City, which spoke to the audience on personal levels. Tears streamed down the faces of some while smiles stretched across the faces of others. Underneath the lights, a world was formed – a small culmination of vast lives all affected by the same poetry.
The Paper Kites finished out their Halloween performance with an encore, singing some oldies that were wished for to send off the audience with a memorable evening. Once the lights came on, The Paper Kites and The Roadhouse Band said their thanks and bid their farewells to their New York City crowd.
The Bacon Brothers are set to play two upcoming shows in New York, as they continue their fall tour lineup across the country. Brothers Kevin and Michael Bacon banded together in 1995 to form The Bacon Brothers, an official name to the musical pairing that has been around since their childhood.
Having released 11 collections of music since then, the duo is looking ahead to two shows in New York State: November 17 at Albany’s The Egg, and November 18 at Westbury’s The Space.
Photo Credit: Jeff Fasano
The Bacon Brothers titled their first album, Forosoco, after their self-described genre, blending folk, rock, soul, and country influences. Most recently, they released “Philly Thing,” a single dedicated to their hometown of Philadelphia. The song benefitted charities Rock to the Future and Kevin Bacon’s own SixDegrees.org.
NYS Music had the chance to interview The Bacon Brothers ahead of their upcoming NYS shows, talking all things music, family, and upcoming projects.
Cara Denton: You’ve coined your own genre – forosoco. As you began your music careers, did you ever feel limited by genre categories, or was it a natural part of your philosophies to work outside those categories?
Michael Bacon: Forosoco is a non-category. Genre distinctions have been a part of popular culture since the radio was invented. It helps the music business focus on narrow marketing strategies that streamline their business model. The key to success in any endeavor is to find out what is different about yourself and get really good at that.
Kevin Bacon: We just go where the song takes us. Sometimes they feel more folky, rocky, soulful, or country. We’ve always said to ourselves let’s not try to stick to a “sound” let’s have our lack of a sound be our sound.
CD: What artists, instruments, or genres of music have shaped your musical education throughout your lives?
MB: I’ve always had two parallel worlds in art music (cello, oboe) and folk music (banjo, guitar ukulele, etc…). As a composer and songwriter, every day I draw from the unique musical ambiance provided by our parents in the house in which the 6 of us grew up.
KB: Wow so many. Starting with Michael and our sister playing guitars and harmonizing. Motown. British Invasion. TSOP. James and Joni. And on and on. I love drums. I had a drum kit in our basement. And congas. Bongos. Etc.
CD: What does playing a show in New York City look like for you? Any pre-show rituals, sightseeing, or food spots you like to hit?
MB: It’s our hometown and beats flying or driving to distant venues. It’s a ten-minute subway ride to City Winery.
KB: Sightseeing?! I’ve lived in NYC since 1976 so pretty much seen the sights. My favorite slice is Joe’s on Carmine if that helps.
CD: Family is a binding force and an important factor in your musicianship – how does that shape your performances, songwriting, or experience as musicians?
MB: Ours is a family business. Families draw apart when they lack connection. I’m really proud, and I take some credit for my brother’s success in the music business.
KB: Family is everything.
CD: Do you have any practices or hobbies outside of music that you turn to to find inspiration or rejuvenate your creativity?
MB: I enjoy sailboat racing, motorboats and crossword puzzles.
KB: Animals and nature. Being on a horse, riding through the hills.
CD: What’s next for the Bacon Brothers? Any new styles, collaborations, or new developments you’re particularly excited about trying?
MB: I’m hoping one of the new songs catches a wave and a lot of people love it.
KB: Very excited about the new record. Never thought we would make this much music!
An ever-musical family, The Bacon Brothers continue to yield tour dates and new music to come. Their recent EP, Erato, released in July of 2022, with five brand new songs. The title track features a belting chorus, resonant guitar strumming, and catchy lyrics. The duo is touring across the country now, with tickets for their shows in Albany and Westbury now available.
BACON BROTHERS UPCOMING TOUR DATES
Nov 11 – Larchwood, IA – Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort
New York duo Frog return with their fifth album, Grog, a collection of gorgeous Indie Americana full of the nostalgia, hope, defeat, and lust.l
Frog is made up of brothers Danny (songwriting) and Steve Bateman (drums, percussion, backup vocals).
While Steve believes a lot of his albums felt as if they took place in real-world cities (such as New York, and LA in the 70s), Steve describes this new album as taking place in Hades. He writes, “The whole thing is bathed in flames and the grooves are bubbling and the devil is a DJ smiling broadly.”
Eclectic and wildly creative, Frog’s new fully-realized LP veers from the gorgeous grooving funk of “Black on Black on Black” to the classic pop of “Maybelline” before “New Ro” exemplifies the “gothic and cartoonish” characteristics that songwriter Daniel Bateman describes his latest work with.
Sometimes it’s Jonathan Richman, sometimes it’s Hall & Oates, sometimes it’s Billy Joel, sometimes it’s Steely Dan, sometimes it’s Townes Van Zandt…but it’s always Frog.
“There are really exciting places we were able to get to on this record, places that I didn’t know existed before I found them. It feels both gothic and cartoonish to me, big gargoyles, dark skies, storms, but the statues are of ‘Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.’ Every song is a step deeper into the abyss.”
Daniel Bateman
Grog will be released both via CD and digital on November 17 and launched with a performance at YoFi Fest 11 (Yonkers, NY) which accompanies a screening of their “Kings of Blah” documentary.
Singer-songwriter Cat Power has announced a special Carnegie Hall Valentine’s Day performance, recreating Bob Dylan’s iconic performance at the Royal Albert Hall.
The show will feature a 15-song recreation of Dylan’s set, and will be released as a companion to her album, Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert to be released on November 10.
In addition to announcing her Dylan tribute set, Power released two singles from her upcoming album. “Mr Tambourine Man” and “Like A Rolling Stone,” both live Dylan covers, honor the legendary folk musician with Power’s distinct flair.
I had and still have such respect for the man who crafted so many songs that helped develop conscious thinking in millions of people, helped shape the way they see the world. So even though my hands were shaking so much I had to keep them in my pockets, I felt real dignity for myself. It felt like a real honor for me to stand there.
Chan Marshall (Cat Power)
Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert is a recording of a live tribute show, based on Bob Dylan’s May 1966 show at Manchester Free Trade Hall. The show was put down in history as the Royal Albert Hall Concert due to a mislabeled bootleg. Dylan’s famous set featured a mid-show switch from acoustic to electric, which Power will duly recreate.
Cat Power, offstage known as Chan Marshall, will embark on a four-date tour honoring Bob Dylan and celebrating her new album. She will make two sold-out stops at West Hollywood’s The Troubadour, and one at Los Angeles’ Palace Theatre, following up with a Valentine’s Day performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.
Grammy Award-winning trio, Nickel Creek—mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins—will continue their extensive headline tour next year including newly confirmed shows in Rochester, Troy, and Buffalo.
After meeting as young children in California’s That Pizza Place, and subsequently earning the respect of the bluegrass circuit for a decade, the trio signed with venerable label, Sugar Hill Records, in 2000 and quickly broke through with their Grammy-nominated, Alison Krauss-produced self-titled LP. Since that effort, the trio has released three more studio albums to date: 2002’s This Side, which won Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 45th Grammy Awards, 2005’s Why Should the Fire Die? and 2014’s A Dotted Line.
Each member of Nickel Creek has also taken part in many outside projects over the years. Chris Thile is a 2012 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and served as the host of the American radio variety show “Live from Here” (formerly “A Prairie Home Companion”) from 2016 to 2020. He has also released collaborative albums with world-renowned musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Brad Mehldau and Stuart Duncan as well as six studio albums with his Grammy-winning band, Punch Brothers. Sean Watkins is a co-founder of Watkins Family Hour alongside Sara, who has released three albums and maintains a long-running collaborative show in Los Angeles. Sean has also released a string of solo albums, while Sara’s extracurricular projects include the aforementioned Watkins Family Hour, as well as the Grammy-winning roots trio, I’m With Her, which she co-founded alongside Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz. Sara Jarosz has released four studio albums and has contributed fiddle to recordings for artists like Phoebe Bridgers, The Killers, and John Mayer.
Even stronger when together, Nickel Creek revolutionized bluegrass and folk in the early 2000s and ushered in a new era of what we now recognize as Americana music. In a 2020 retrospective entitled, “The Year Folk Broke: How Nickel Creek Made Americana The New Indie Rock,” NPR Music praised, “20 years ago this month, an album arrived that seemed to speak all these languages at once: unafraid to push the boundaries of its primary genre, and packing the musical chops to bring such an eclectic vision to life. Behind it were three musicians just barely old enough to vote” and continued, “That makes Nickel Creek and its unofficial debut a critical point along a storied timeline, one whose innovations offer countless connections between the genre’s origins and its future. Once dubbed ‘progressive newgrassers,’ the three musicians now fit firmly within the ranks of Americana music—however nebulous, layered and diverse that realm may be. They have only themselves to thank.”
The upcoming shows add to a landmark year for the group, who released Celebrants—their fifth studio album and first release in nine years—this past spring via Thirty Tigers. Additionally, Nickel Creek recently received the Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award at the 2023 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards and performed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “CBS Saturday Morning” earlier this year.
Recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A, the album was produced by longtime collaborator Eric Valentine (Queens of the Stone Age, Grace Potter, Weezer) and features Mike Elizondo on bass. Reflecting on the project, the band shares, “This is a record about embracing the friction inherent in real human connection. We begin the record yearning for and pursuing harmonious connection. We end the record having realized that truly harmonious connection can only be achieved through the dissonance that we’ve spent our entire adult lives trying to avoid.”
NICKEL CREEK CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
February 6, 2024—Iowa City, IA—Hancher Auditorium
February 7, 2024—Madison, WI—Overture Hall
February 9, 2024—Des Moines, IA—Hoyt Sherman Place
February 10, 2024—Indianapolis, IN—Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
February 12, 2024—Peoria, IL—Peoria Civic Center Theater
February 13, 2024—Kalamazoo, MI—Kalamazoo State Theatre
February 15, 2024—Columbus, OH—Mershon Auditorium
February 16, 2024—Fort Wayne, IN—The Clyde Theatre
February 17, 2024—Louisville, KY—The Louisville Palace
February 19, 2024—Durham, NC—Durham Performing Arts Center
February 20, 2024—Augusta, GA—Miller Theater
February 21, 2024—Jacksonville, FL—Florida Theatre
February 23, 2024—Fort Lauderdale, FL—Broward Center for the Performing Arts
February 24, 2024—Clearwater, FL—Ruth Eckerd Hall
March 12, 2024—Canton, OH—Canton Palace Theatre
March 14, 2024—Bethesda, MD—Music Center at Strathmore
March 15, 2024—Newark, NJ—NJPAC
March 16, 2024—Rochester, NY—Kodak Center
March 17, 2024—Burlington, VT—Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
March 19, 2024—Groton, MA—Groton Hill Music Center Concert Hall
March 21, 2024—Storrs, CT—Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts
March 22, 2024— Troy, NY—Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
March 23, 2024—Buffalo, NY—University at Buffalo Center for the Arts
March 24, 2024— Lancaster, PA—American Music Theatre
April 26, 2024—Knoxville, TN—Tennessee Theatre
April 27, 2024—Savannah, GA—Johnny Mercer Theatre
April 30, 2024—Huntsville, AL—VBC Mark Smith Concert Hall
May 2, 2024—Little Rock, AR—The Hall
Tickets for the 2024 shows are available for pre-sale starting today, October 25, at 10:00am local time with general on-sale following this Friday, October 27 at 10:00am local time. Full details can be found at www.nickelcreek.com/tour.
Honest Folk brought Canadian singer/songwriter Cat Clyde to Rochester’s Skylark Lounge on Saturday night. By the end of the show, or rather not even halfway through, it was a mutual love fest. The crowd, some familiar some not, were eating up every word and every note, while Clyde, recognizing this, was visibly and verbally blown away by the response. It was her first time to town and the cozy bar was essentially sold out, many singing along and most all exuberantly encouraging her between songs.
She, along with her band including guitar, bass and drums, were touring behind her excellent new release Down Rounder. In a little over an hour, they would play nearly every track from that record, while also sprinkling earlier and even newer material, one played for the first time live even, throughout.
Musically songs patched together sounds from grooving rock, surf, honky tonk, 50’s ballads, indie rock, slow blues, outlaw country, 60’s European psychedelia and even a little Middle Eastern influence.
Thematically the songs were grounded in the natural world. Rain, rivers, trees and other elements found around us were referenced liberally. But it as those actually ungrounded in nature that popped up most frequently: the birds, the moon, the sun and the stars.
“Hawk in the Tree” was about her urge to be a bird. An urge that doesn’t seem all that recent, because in “Not Like You” from her earlier release Hunters Trance she sang, “I may be a bird in a cage, but at least I have my wings.” In “The River” there were “birds moving like a school of fish in the sky.” “The Gloom” expressed her love for the moon, and in “All the Black” she “told the moonlight I was scared.” Even her one cover of the night was of Bonnie Guitar’s country croon “Dark Moon.” And in “Papa Took My Totems” she brought them both together, singing “the moon was a loon.”
Instrumentally the music was carried on Clyde’s incredible voice. Her backing band was excellent at fleshing out her tunes but remained a backing band throughout, there to service and highlight the talents of their front woman. Except when she played a couple on her own mid-set. She could drift from husky and deep to soft and soaring from verse to chorus, or jump octaves instantly and effortlessly from one word to the next. At times she would just be singing syllables in a folk-like scat, using her voice solely as an instrument, and an incredible instrument it was. When “Real Love” opened with her singing a capella, it became apparent she could carry an entire song, maybe the whole set, with just her voice.
Clearly Cat Clyde is a star, or bird or moon, on the rise.
Opener Libby DeCamp had played Rochester before, seven years ago, but her memories were fuzzy. She used her honey sweet voice and resonator guitar to present a set of mostly new songs like “Tigers of Wrath,” inspired by a transcendentalism phase she went through, and “Torch.” Her material was sparse and spacious, each note and each word carrying extra weight. Hopefully this memory sticks a little better for her, Rochester would love a quicker return.
But until then, Rochester has another Honest Folk show to look forward to as the great Marty O’Reilly returns to play an intimate gig at the brand new venue, Essex, on November 11.
Cat Clyde Setlist: So Heavy, Mystic Light, Everywhere I Go, Hawk in the Tree, The Gloom, Real Love, Mama Said, Dark Moon (Bonnie Guitar), New Song, Not Like You, The Man I Loved Blues, Where is My Love, Bird Bone, Papa Took My Totems, Eternity, So Cold, All the Black Encore: The River, I Feel It
Celebrating 20 years since the release of It Still Moves, My Morning Jacket and their loyal fans descended upon the Upper West Side of Manhattan for three nights of shows at the Beacon Theatre, with Madi Diaz opening up each night.
My Morning Jacket kicked off their 3-night run at The Beacon Theatre with a bang, playing their albumIt Still Moves in its entirety to the sold out crowd. A real treat for fans, the band returned for a 7-song encore, starting with Jim James solo on “I Needed It Most”, played for the first time since 2018.
The encore included a live debut of “Grab a Body” as well as “Feel You,” “It Beats 4 U,” and “Phone Went West” to close out the night. James spoke about how blessed we are to be in such a beautiful place that is the Beacon Theatre.
Friday night of My Morning Jacket at the Beacon Theatre started off with a full version of “Cobra,” clocking in at almost 17 minutes. The setlist that followed captivated the sold-out crowd from start to finish, with stand out songs including “O is the One That Is Real,” “Strangulation,“ and “Victory Dance.”
They returned to the stage for a 6-song encore with opener Madi Diaz joining Jim James and company to perform “The Wind” by Cat Stevens. The highlight of the encore was “Highly Suspicious,” off their 2008 album Evil Urges.
Saturday saw Diaz join the band once again, joining for “I Will Be There When You Die,” an apt song given the first lines being “Joe was born in New York City, Son of Paul and Catherine, Always down and always out, But his ‘morrows always seemed jus’ fine.”
This week, the tour marches on, playing in Albany on Wednesday, October 25 at the Palace Theatre and at The Met in Philadelphia on Friday, October 27, before heading to the Southeast and closing the tour out in Chicago November 9-11.
My Morning Jacket – Beacon Theatre, NYC – Thursday, October 19
Setlist: It Still Moves, Mahgeetah, Dancefloors, Golden, Master Plan, One Big Holiday, I Will Sing You Songs, Easy Morning Rebel, Run Thru, Rollin Back, Just One Thing, Steam Engine, One in the Same Encore: I Needed It Most, Old Sept. Blues, Feel You, It Beats 4 U, Compound Fracture, Grab a Body, Phone Went West
My Morning Jacket – Beacon Theatre, NYC – Friday, October 20
Setlist: Cobra, Gideon, The Way That He Sings, Lay Low, Slow Slow Tune, Run It, I’m Amazed, Least Expected, Lucky to Be Alive, War Begun, Strangulation!, Victory Dance, O Is the One That Is Real, Smokin’ From Shootin’, It’s About Twilight Now, Anytime Encore: Butch Cassidy, The Wind (with Madi Diaz), Only Memories Remain, First Light, Highly Suspicious, Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2
My Morning Jacket – Beacon Theatre, NYC – Saturday, October 21
Setlist: In Its Infancy (The Waterfall), Spring (Among the Living), Holdin On to Black Metal, Never in the Real World, Evil Urges, I Think I’m Going to Hell, I Will Be There When You Die (with Madi Diaz), Knot Comes Loose, Heartbreakin Man, What a Wonderful Man, Honest Man, Tropics (Erase Traces), Thank You Too!, Climbing the Ladder, Off the Record, Wasted, Dondante, Love Love Love, Circuital Encore: State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.), Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1, Wordless Chorus
Modern rock-folk band ‘The Left-Handed 2nd Baseman’ have announced the release of their latest album, The Dogs Race to the Door.
The Left-Handed 2nd Baseman (LH2B) is based in Rochester and became the creation of singer/songwriter/producer Fran Broderick. They fuse diverse musical influences ranging from alt-folk to synth-pop, the result by stirring anthems is anchored by Broderick’s captivating lyrics.
The upcoming release for The Dogs Race to the Door arrived on October 21 and marks the first full album with the LH2B band and the first album since 2018’s Trench Digging During Peacetime. Including 10 new songs while 2 are reworked tunes from 2015’s Eudaimonia. The band includes vocalist/guitarist Fran Broderick, drummer Zak Mendoza, bassist Dan Carter, Shane Kelsen on piano, organ & synth, rhythm guitarist Ben Rossi plus backing vocals and co-producer Brendan Simms.
The Dogs Race to the Door uses a collection of combined acoustic sounds while implementing synthesized elements to create an upbeat soulful mix of alternative folk songs. Their vocals are gruff yet heartfelt and exhibit themes of overcoming hardship, their experience with manhood while articulating these themes through storytelling. This album is sure to get your body grooving, head bobbing and feet moving
Key Tracks: I-90, Branch Collar, A Man Under the Influence
Full of gritty energy, thoughtful storytelling, extremely tight improvisation, a spectacular light show, and a palpable connection to their audience, Kitchen Dwellers brought their unique brand of psychedelic bluegrass to Cohoes, NY on Thursday, October 12th.
No strangers to the Capital Region, Kitchen Dwellers have played the area many times over the years, but the second show of their 2023 fall tour would be their first at the historic Cohoes Music Hall, one of the oldest (and allegedly haunted) venues in the country. Delivering an absolute scorching performance, the level of musicianship on display was scary good.
Kitchen Dwellers made their Cohoes Music Hall debut on 10/12/2023.
Showing up to the corner of Remsen and Cayuga, you were instantly met with heady vibes from the municipal lot as the jokers and tokers greeted one another. There was a laid back feeling of familiarity and optimism as people of all ages lined up to check out the plethora of band merch and the gorgeous limited edition show poster designed by artist Dan Dippel. Fans who got there early enough were treated to a delicious appetizer from the young-and-hungry opening act, Fireside Collective from Asheville, NC.
After a brief set change, Capital Region show promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions took center stage to welcome everyone to the Cohoes Music Hall and wax nostalgic for a moment before introducing Kitchen Dwellers to a massive ovation. Wasting no time serving up the main course, the band set the tone early with a “Sundown” opener, the first of five songs that would be played from their latest album, Wise River. They had the crowd captivated from the very first note.
Kitchen Dwellers (L-R): Max Davies, Torrin Daniels, Joe Funk, and Shawn Swain performing on 10/12/23.
Consisting of Torrin Daniels on banjo, Joe Funk on bass, Max Davies on guitar, and Shawn Swain on mandolin, describing their inspired sound is no easy task. Utilizing traditional string instruments, adding a few effect pedals and foregoing a drummer, their expansive playing is full of character, bombastic banjo riffs, lightning fast licks, virtuosic finger picking and foot-stomping grooves. These guys make the complex look effortless. After squeezing “Their Names Are The Trees” into a “This Time” sandwich, the Kitchen Dwellers were cooking with pure gasoline as they alligatored “Smokestack” through a pair of choice covers – “Salt Creek” and “Alcohol in the Bloodstream.” Coming up for air to greet the audience and exchange some friendly banter about the proper pronunciation of Cohoes, the band would then invite Fireside Collective dobro player, Tommy Maher, to the stage for the remainder of the set.
Chest Fever: Fireside Collective’s Tommy Maher (dobro) joined in on the fun on 10/12/23.
Taking control of the ship and guiding the band through the crowd-pleasing title track of 2019’s Muir Maid, upright bassist Joe Funk’s vocals sounded fantastic here, while the extended interplay and energy of Torrin’s flying dreadlocks and Maher’s youthful exuberance sent the room into a fever pitch. With the venue itself located just on the outskirts of Levon Country, perhaps that was their intention all along, as a well-placed cover of The Band’s classic “Chest Fever” would bring the opening frame to a close.
Kitchen Dwellers’ Joe Funk croons away in Cohoes, NY 10/12/23.
When Kitchen Dwellers hit the stage for round 2, it didn’t take them long to address the elephant in the room, or in this case, the ghost. Nicknamed “The girl who made vaudeville famous,” many believe the spirit of Eva Tanguay has haunted the Cohoes Music Hall since her death in 1947. Often “felt” hanging around just off stage left and sometimes in the center of the balcony’s second row, the band acknowledged this bit of folklore by offering up their song “Ghost in a Bottle” in tribute.
Ghost in a Bottle: Kitchen Dwellers make an offering to the ghost of Eva Tanguay on 10/12/23.
The real meat and potatoes of the set would come next as the Dwellers found their groove on “Stand at Ease” which seamlessly segued into a cover of “White Freightliner Blues.” Showing a deep respect to their roots by weaving together a tapestry of their influences, the dexterity and speed at which these guys play make it almost impossible to stand still. After a stellar version of “Gypsy,” the band gave a special shoutout to a group of friends who traveled there from Vermont, allegedly breaking the record for the most people you can cram into a van, something which Torrin found debatable. Announcing they weren’t going to do the typical encore thing and that they’d just play until the venue kicked them out, the enthusiastic crowd were then treated to a sizzling combination of “Mountain” > “Drowning (… Again)” > “Ebenezer’s Winter” to bring the tasty night of galaxy-grass jams to a close just after midnight.
Putting a fresh spin on an old genre and blending the past with the future, Kitchen Dwellers rose to the occasion in Cohoes and threw down a performance that will be talked about for years to come. Upon leaving the Cohoes Music Hall, perhaps one excited fan summed it up best, saying “That was the best $20 I’ve spent in a very long time.“
With fall tour just getting underway, fans in New York won’t need to wait long to catch them again. Kitchen Dwellers have been tapped by Twiddle to take part in their final shows next month before going on an indefinite hiatus. The sentimental sendoff will take place at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. For more details on tour dates and tickets head to kitchendwellers.com.
Kitchen Dwellers | October 12, 2023 | Cohoes Music Hall | Cohoes, NY
Set 1: Sundown, This Time > Their Names Are the Trees > This Time, Smokestack>Salt Creek >Alcohol In the Bloodstream, Muir Maid * > Chest Fever *
Set 2: Ghost in the Bottle > Cuckoo’s Nest [Traditional] > Ghost In the Bottle, Stand At Ease > White Freightliner Blues, Gypsy, Mountain > Drowning (… Again) > Ebenezer’s Winter
* Featuring Tommy Maher of Fireside Collective on Dobro
