Dmitry Wild, a New York-based rock artist, released his newest track, “Rock N Roll Is My Business.” Following up to his 2022 album, Electric Souls, his newest track comes alongside a few recent singles.
Inspired by an experience at a business convention, Dmitry Wild penned “Rock N Roll Is My Business” in response to a question posed to the audience, “What is your business?”. Finding himself at odds with the businesspeople and conventiongoers, he was inspired by his own answer, “Rock N Roll Is My Business.”
Wild’s newest track exudes confidence, accompanied by ever-present horns and funky, layered vocals. He latches onto the classic rock-n-roll figurehead frame, and creates a Halloween-esque sound that solidifies his place in the rock-n-roll business.
“Rock N Roll Is My Business” released following Wild’s single, “Son of a Gun,” another funky rock track with a bright, eclectic music video alongside. In addition, he released “New York Stones” in July, a rock ballad dedicated to the city of New York. Wild sings, “No matter where we go, no matter what we do, New York is in our soul, the city that gave us rock and roll.”
Catch Dmitry Wild at his upcoming shows in New York. He will play Woodstock’s The Colony on October 28, as well as Freddy’s Bar in Brooklyn on November 5. Finally, he will make a stop at No Fun in Albany on December 21 to close out the year.
Kitchen Dwellers, a genre-bending quartet from Bozeman, Montana, has announced their 2024 “L.F.G. Tour.”
Included on the tour for Kitchen Dwellers are two performances at Brooklyn Bowl Williamsburg, and one performance at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, which round out the tour in March and April, 2024.
The quartet—Shawn Swain (mandolin), Torrin Daniels (banjo), Joe Funk (upright bass), and Max Davies (acoustic guitar)—twist bluegrass, folk, and rock through a kaleidoscope of homegrown stories, rich mythology, American West wanderlust, and psychedelic hues.
After amassing 5 million-plus streams, selling out shows, and receiving acclaim from Huffington Post, Relix, American Songwriter, Forbes, and more, the group brings audiences back for the ride on their third full-length album.
In the past, the group’s songs touched on the physical surroundings of Wise River, a 30-mile long river running through the Southwestern region of Montana. This time, the band decided to dive deeper and talk about the issues everyone has faced after the pandemic in 2020.
“The town of Wise River is basically a forgotten spot on the map. It used to be a thriving place with many prosperous mines, but now it’s practically dried up. There’s a hell of a lot of melancholy. In our mind, it symbolizes the overall feeling of being in slowed-down Montana life.”
Shawn Swain (mandolin)
Kitchen Dwellers share timeless American stories. Song topics vary from mental health issues in the music industry to the death of a friend. Everyone can find a song that speaks to them, and that shows the band’s expansive writing and musical skills, and how they’ve grown since their already musically-sound past albums Ghost In The Bottle and Muir Maid.
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.
This past weekend, Billy & The Kids played a two-night run at the legendary Capitol Theatre, with sets including covers of the Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, The Who, and Eric Clapton.
This time around the band included of course Bill Kreutzmann, and the ‘kids’, Reed Mathis, Aron Magner, and Tom Hamilton, who were joined by Andrew and Brad Barr of The Barr Brothers.
The band started of with a tight set featuring crowd favorites like “Eyes of the World,” “Jack Straw,” and “Beat It on Down the Line.”
On October 20th, the theater celebrated the 1000th show for Head Usher Brian Lynch who had the occasion commemorated with a trophy which was handed by Pete Shapiro and Billy Kreutzmann himself.
The second set started off with a traditionally psychedelic “Drums > Space” into another crowd favorite “Scarlet Begonias.” The second set was filled with elaborate jams and ended with an incredible “Fire on the Mountain” and the band came back for an encore of “Lay Down Sally” and “Ripple.”
Billy & the Kids – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester – Friday, October 20, 2023
Set 1: The Kids Are Alright, St. Stephen, Eyes of the World, She Belongs to Me, Beat It on Down the Line, Mama Tried, Jack Straw, Row Jimmy, Let’s Spend the Night Together
Set 2: Drums > Space, Scarlet Begonias, Friend of the Devil, Ramble on Rose, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, Fire on the Mountain
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
Originally scheduled to kick-off in Mexico City on September 10, the rescheduled “40 Years of Morrissey” tour rebooted in Orlando, Florida earlier this month after the British crooner and former frontman of the Smiths had fully recovered from some recent health concerns.
United Palace | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
After sweeping through Georgia, Tennessee and Washington, D.C., the United Palace – a lavish theater nestled in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan – welcomed Morrissey (affectionately dubbed “Moz” by Smiths bandmate Johnny Marr) this past Saturday night, October 21, for the first of four shows in a brief residency.
Constructed in 1930, United Palace occupies a full city block and functions not only as a nonprofit performing arts center that has hosted artists the likes of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Adele, Arcade Fire and Kraftwerk, but also as a spiritual center. You may have also seen the epochal venue as a backdrop for the film John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and in the Hulu television series Only Murders in the Building.
With showtime looming, latecomers entered the majestic theater from Broadway on a chilly autumn evening and into the grand foyer, many ‘blown away’ (as I was) by the sheer grandeur of the scene. At half past eight o’clock, a pair of square-shaped, side-by-side video screens suddenly came to life and for the next 30-minutes, displayed a barrage of images and video clips featuring actors and musicians who have inspired Morrissey over the years, including Roxy Music, David Bowie, Eddie Cochran and Sidney Poitier. The biggest reaction from the audience occurred when the breakthrough video of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” featuring the iconic, closeup visage of the late Sinéad O’Connor, appeared wondrously.
Morrissey | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
At 9:10 pm, as the house lights went down, the crowd literally jumped out of their seats and erupted with rapturous applause. It was officially “Game On!” The perpetually suave Morrissey elegantly took the stage, dressed in black from head to toe, as he and his talented quintet of back-up musicians instantly transported us to 1992 with “We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful” (Your Arsenal). Over the course of nearly 90-minutes, Morrissey gifted his legion of die-hard fans an eclectic set that incorporated a glorious blend of five tracks from his days with The Smiths, highlighted by “How Soon Is Now?,” the beginning of which signaled the simultaneously raising of cell phones high into the air to forever record the moment into eternity.
Morrissey | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
The remainder of the nineteen-song set comprised tunes lifted from an extensive discography spanning Morrissey’s debut solo studio album released in 1988 (Viva Hate) to his upcoming studio album entitled Without Music the World Dies, with a tentative release date of later this year. As the night turned for home, Morrissey presented “Sure Enough, the Telephone Rings,” recorded in early-2021 and originally intended to appear on the studio album entitled Bonfire Of Teenagers – but will not be released by Capitol Records, the label Morrissey departed acrimoniously and who are now holding onto the album’s rights (at least for the time being). Morrissey and his signature baritone voice, in top form all night, exquisitely delivered the critically acclaimed “Everyday Is Like Sunday,” written shortly after the Smiths break-up, and yet another goosebump inducing moment.
Morrissey | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
Returning to the stage after a several minute interlude, each band member – Jesse Tobias (lead guitar), Carmen Vandenberg (rhythm guitar), Juan Galeano Toro (bass), Camila Grey (keyboards) and Brendan Buckley (drums) – took a moment center stage at the mic to say a few words (entirely in Español), thanking all of us for being there. Waiting in the wings, Morrissey was now rocking his own T-shirt merch which featured the likeness of Billy Halop, an American actor from Queens who rose to fame in the 1930s. As the encore performance of “Speedway” (Vauxhall and I, 1994) neared its climax, Morrissey shed his shirt and tossed it to a lucky fan, exiting the stage bare-chested to a sustained ovation from the 3,500 capacity crowd that never sat down all night long. As I filed out of United Palace within a throng of highly satisfied patrons and into the chilly October night, I was already thinking about what special surprises lie in store for the next three residency gigs.
Morrissey | Photo Credit: Michael Dinger
Following the final night of the U.S. tour leg at United Palace on October 25, Morrissey’s global trek will resume on November 9 in Singapore, followed by shows in Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand on December 14. Morrissey will then take some well-deserved time off until early-February, at which time he will play the rescheduled Mexico City show on February 3, 2024, followed by South American dates culminating in Brazil on February 24.
Watch Moz’s Saturday night performance of “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want,” recorded by the Smiths and released in 1984 as the B-side of the single “William, It Was Really Nothing,” below:
Setlist: We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful > Our Frank > Suedehead > Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before* > Alma Matters > Half a Person* > I Wish You Lonely > Let Me Kiss You > How Soon Is Now?* > Girlfriend in a Coma* > Darling, I Hug a Pillow > The Loop > The Night Pop Dropped > Sure Enough, the Telephone Rings > Irish Blood, English Heart > Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want* > Everyday Is Like Sunday > Jack the Ripper Encore: Speedway *the Smiths cover
UPCOMING MORRISSEY WORLD TOUR DATES
11/09/23 – Singapore, Singapore @ Star Theater 11/16/23 – Chek Lap Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong @ AsiaWorld-Expo 11/18/23 – Bangkok, Thailand @ Samyan Hall 11/22/23 – Jakarta, Indonesia @ Istora Senayan Jakarta 11/28/23 – Tokyo, Japan @ Toyosu Pit 12/01/23 – Perth, Australia @ Perth Concert Hall 12/04/23 – Melbourne, Australia @ Palais Theater 12/05/23 – Melbourne, Australia @ Palais Theater 12/08/23 – Brisbane, Australia @ Fortitude Music Hall 12/10/23 – Sydney, Australia @ State Theater 12/11/23 – Sydney, Australia @ State Theater 12/14/23 – Auckland, New Zealand @ The Civic 02/03/24 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Palacio de los Deportes 02/08/24 – Lima, Peru @Anfiteatro del Parque de la Exposición 02/10/24 – Bogata, Columbia @ Movistar Arena 02/15/24 – Santiago, Chile @ Movistar Arena 02/17/24 – Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Movistar Arena 02/22/24 – São Paulo, Brazil @ Espaço Unimed 02/24/24 – Brasilia, Brazil @ Opera Hall
On the evening of Saturday, October 21, fans gathered at the legendary Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg to witness an unforgettable performance by Daniel Donato. The 1000 capacity venue was completely sold out as Daniel and his ensemble graced the stage, bringing his unique presentation, “Cosmic Country,” to the streets of Brooklyn.
Daniel, who is currently in the midst of his fall tour, made a resounding statement by packing this iconic venue to the brim. The atmosphere was electric. Taking the stage promptly at 8:00 PM, Daniel showcased not just his musical talent but also the profound connection he shares with his audience. “Cosmic Country,” originally the title of one of his albums, has become more than just a moniker; it symbolizes a journey into the world of Americana, and the boundaries he pushes as he explores each song.
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Daniel had previously made guest appearances at this venue earlier this year with the Kitchen Dwellers, and his growing popularity as an original artist has also seen him collaborating with mainstream icons. Notably, he recently joined Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzman for several of his recent shows, including the sold-out Pier 17 NYC performance in August, as well as performing with Bob Weir in his home state last year.
https://youtu.be/lAOzVcLgoV8?si=mUMJR5Udcpu99M5t
Daniel’s “Cosmic Country” experience takes the audience on a captivating journey, with his influences in jam band music shining through. It’s a blend of country and folk, infused with groovy and funky elements. The music is structured yet possesses an ethereal, space-like quality. The audience, in sync with the Cosmic Country vibe, sported cowboy, western, and psychedelic attire.
A standout moment in the performance was when Scott Metzger, of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead fame, made a guest appearance during the first set. The energy in the venue was palpable as Daniel and Scott engaged in a musical duel, their notes creating a delightful exchange that resonated with the ecstatic audience. Throughout the night, Daniel’s ensemble band played an indispensable role in the evening’s success. Will Clark, commanding the drums, Nathan Aronowitz, who effortlessly alternated between keys and guitar, and Will McGee, holding down the bass, provided a solid musical foundation for the evenings journey.
As the final set concluded, Daniel playfully bid the sold-out crowd a faux goodnight. The audience, buzzing with excitement, began chanting for an encore, and their enthusiasm was infectious. Prominent venue owner Peter Shapiro even emerged, further igniting the crowd’s energy. Daniel and his band returned to the stage amidst cheers, embarking on a final descent that left a lasting impression. As fans exited the Brooklyn Bowl, they were left buzzing with excitement, their anticipation for Daniel Donato’s promising career is undeniable. He is undoubtedly on the cusp of becoming a prominent figure in the Rock Community, with a dedicated fan base to support him.
For those in Buffalo eager to catch a glimpse of the Cosmic Country phenomenon, a performance is scheduled for Tuesday, October 24. Furthermore, fans can look forward to his upcoming album, Reflector, set to release on November 10.
During the height of the COVID-19 shutdown, residents of Woodstock and surrounding burgs stayed sane, in large part, due to the efforts of Neil and Lexi Howard, the proprietors of the Colony Woodstock. While all other entertainment options seemed to be shuttered, Hudson Valley music-lovers could mask up and head to the new beer garden behind the legendary venue to eat, drink and hear great sounds – from both some national acts who were in performance cold storage due to the COVID shutdown and many fine local players.
So, it came as no surprise when the Colony opened its doors on October 22 to host a fundraising event for The Stop Woodstock National Coalition. This is a community-based group working with the Woodstock Land Conservancy to combat a proposed development that would wipe out 620+ acres of forest and wetlands with 191 housing units, a golf course and a helipad.
The sell-out event was headlined by Marco Benevento, the Woodstock keyboard wizard and multi-instrumentalist known for his work as a soloist, in his duo with Joe Russo and in collaboration with varied artists like Phish axe man Trey Anastasio, Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, Tortoise’s John McEntire, drummers Billy Martin and Smashing Pumpkin’s Matt Chamberlin and many others.
Benevento gathered a flock of the area’s finest for a raucous evening of funk, psych and soul-inspired jamming all for a wonderful cause. The supporting line-up included but was not limited to drummers Aaron Johnston (Brazilian Girls), Bill Carbone (Max Creek) and Chris Consico, bassists Karina Rykman and Jeff Hill (Steve Earle), saxophonist Maria Christina Eisen, guitarist Danny Blume and singers Leslie Mendleson and Simi Stone.
The evening was kicked off with an eight-song set by singer-songwriter Kenny Roby. Roby’s first three numbers, with just acoustic guitar and voice, were obscured by the din of the packed house. Things kicked up several notches when he was joined by Johnston, Hill and Blume for a cover of “Street People” from legendary Woodstock songwriter Bobby Charles. Another highlight of his set was when Leslie Mendleson joined to belt out the lead vox on “I’m Gonna Leave You Behind.”
The night segued without break into Benevento’s set. He set things in motion with the bass and keyboard intro before kicking into trio hyper-drive with “At the End of the Beginning” from his 2022 disc Benevento. The youthful Consico laid down a thick Disco-meets-Bonham beat while Rykman kept it simple and in-the-pocket. The tune, as many in the evening, left plenty of space for Benevento’s inventive soloing on electro piano, organ and Mini-Moog. He also laid down lots of old school synth samples (was that a vintage Crumar sound, Marco?), with added echo, delay, phase and fuzz twisted out of an array of old stomp boxes.
The band next served up the title track from Marco’s 2019 release, “Let It Slide,” a toe-tapping stop-time pop funk crowd pleaser. On “Why You Gotta Throw It Away,” Benevento launched a solo that showcased the many influences he melds into a unified and distinctly original whole. There’s a heavy serving of New Orleans’ funk, some experimental jazz, Krautrock and psychedelics leanings and some jazzy flourishing arpeggios that make his sound like a paisley-stained Art Tatum.
The guest vocalist highlight of the night was Leslie Mendleson’s return to the stage for a take on Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” Woodstock-reared singer Simi Stone also joined to add soul on a handful of tunes including “I Can’t Let You Go.” Benevento himself sang lead on perhaps the funkiest jam of the night, a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” The band riffed long and hard on this, with Marco rolling out more Louisiana keyboard hot sauce.
On the cover of “Come Together,” the assemblage sounded like “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” era Traffic, with some fine Steve Cropper-inspired rhythmic soloing from guitarist Bloom and a biting tenor sax from Maria Christina Eisen. Another standout was the cover of the Gene McDaniel’s penned protest classic “Compared to What,” best known in its live rendition by soul jazzers Les McCann and Eddie Harris. This version had an early 1970’s Stones’ vibe of the ”Jamming with Edward” era, accented again by the broad, vintage Bobby Keyes yakety sax work.
For more info on Stop Woodstock National, visit their website.
