The dynamic progressive fusion rock trio Baked Shrimp from Long Island announced in a letter to fans that they are going on an indefinite hiatus, starting in February 2024.
Before disbanding though, the group is embarking on a farewell album release tour, coming to the Cutting Room, Funk ‘n Waffles, and The Hollow in January and February of 2024.
Baked Shrimp consists of Jared Cowen (Guitar/Vocals), Scott Reill (Bass/Vocals), and Jager Soss (Drums/Vocals). Together, they channel boundless energy, unique songwriting, and powerful improvisation, weaving into a symphonic odyssey that is their eclectic discography. During the years 2022 and 2023, the group performed over 215 concerts throughout the US and Canada, debuting at renowned events like the Peach Music Festival, Summer Camp Music Festival, Northlands Live, and Mile of Music.
They have played with the likes of Phil Lesh and provided direct support for the Disco Biscuits, Dopapod, Twiddle, and Andy Frasco & The U.N.
In their letter to fans, Baked Shrimp expressed gratitude for their fans and to venue and festival owners for “taking a chance on [them].” Going on, they said “These past seven years have been a privilege and honor getting to perform our original music with all of our heart and soul in front of your dancing, smiling, and loving faces from all different parts of the country. The three of us will cherish every one of these moments for the rest of our lives.”
The band is going separate ways, with each member pursuing their dreams and will still remain active in the music industry. Ending the announcement, the group wishes everyone well, saying “Stay safe, love and respect one another, enjoy the holidays, and weâll see you for one last tour starting in January at home in NYC.”
To purchase tickets to their upcoming farewell album release tour, visit here.
Baked Shrimp Farewell Album Release Tour 2024: 01/12 – The Cutting Room – New York, NY (Album Release Party) 01/13 – The 8×10 – Baltimore, MD w/ Greasy Hands 01/14 – The Camel – Richmond, VA (Umphrey’s McGee After-Party) 01/17 – Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC 01/18 – The Pour House – Raleigh, NC w/ The Hourglass Kids 01/19 – Live at “The Shop” – Dunbar, WV 01/20 – Blue Fox Billiards – Winchester, VA w/ Tim Cintron Project 02/02 – The Drake – Amherst, MA 02/03 – Nectar’s – Burlington, VT 02/08 – Funk ‘n Waffles – Syracuse, NY 02/09 – The Hollow – Albany, NY 02/10 – River Street Jazz Cafe – Plains, PA 02/17 – Park City Music Hall – Bridgeport, CT (Final Show) w/ Honeydew
Sibling group The Zorbas Trio released their debut single, “Still I Breathe,” ahead of their Hudson Falls show at the Strand Theater on December 4. Composed of siblings Callista, Demetra, and John Zorbas, the group plays original folk rock tunes, as well as covers ranging across genres.
The group’s first single, “Still I Breathe,” is a dark folk-rock track with strong vocals, as well as evident piano and guitar skills. The sibling trio shows strong collaborative skill, which will prove to be important in their upcoming album.
The Zorbas Trio is currently based out of Saratoga, as Upstate NY natives. Pianist and composer John Zorbas is the youngest of the three, specializing in classical and jazz. Demetra, the second oldest of the Trio, brings lead vocals and bass, and is also an actor, fine artist, and trap shooter. Finally, Callista, the eldest sibling, also lends lead vocals as well as her guitar skills. She is also an actor, writer, and fine artist, in addition to her musical skills.
The Zorbas Trio will play a show at The Strand Theater in Hudson Falls on December 4 at 7PM. The event is free. More information is available here.
Listen to “Still I Breathe” from Zorbas Trio below.
The Grooving Classic Rock Legends Tribute band provided an intimate performance at The Egg’s Swyer Theater on Saturday, November 25, 2023.
The show featured tribute bands playing classic rock and pop hits from the 60s and 70s from artists such as The Beach Boys, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Grooving Classic Rock Legends plays at major theaters and festivals throughout the Northeast, recreating those sights and sounds.
This group of veteran musicians have been playing classic rock for decades, specializing in songs from the era. They perform their songs with authentic instruments, costumes, and stage presence, and even recreate some of their legendary live performances. Proceeds from the show went to local non-profit organizations in the community.
The show was a blast for fans of classic rock, who enjoyed singing along, dancing, and reminiscing about the good old days when they played at Yezzi’s. The bands delivered high-quality performances that captured the spirit and sound of the original artists. The band also honored veterans and first responders who attended, by dedicating some songs to them and thanking them for their service. The three hour show was a success, despite the low attendance due to Thanksgiving weekend. The venue was cozy and comfortable, and the staff was friendly and helpful.
Jim Anderson and Gary Weinlein served as promoters, with Weinlein also performing in the show, which had ‘appearances’ from Jim Morrison, Grace Slick. The Doors, Santana and Linda Ronstadt, who brought back memories of Governor Moonbeam, and all the craziness of that time. The night closed with Eric Clapton, a standing ovation and the crowd getting a chance to meet the performers in the lobby.
Over the past 8 years Groovin’ Legends has performed at Proctors, The Palace Theatre and The Egg, donating over $30,000 to local Veteran groups through ticket sales. The Veteran groups include The Gold Star Mothers, Blue Star Mothers, Gold Star Families Memorial at Lafayette Park in Albany, NY, Tri County Council Vietnam Era Veterans, and the Veterans Miracle Center.
Comedian, actor, and podcast host Sebastian Maniscalco has announced his 2024 It Ain’t Right Tour, stopping in New York City, Albany, Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse.
Sebastian Maniscalco is the undisputed king of physical comedy, hailed by The New York Times as the “hottest comic in America.” He has been performing for over two decades gaining a massive loyal fanbase. With his tireless work ethic and undeniable talent, Maniscalco commands the crowd with his witty jokes and honesty. During his latest tour, he conquered New York City by selling out Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, UBS Arena, and Prudential Center. With residencies at the Borgata Event Center in Atlantic City, as well as the Wynn, Encore Theatre in Las Vegas, he continues his record-breaking arena shows that earned him the top spot on Pollstar’s Top Comedy Tours list.
He has also starred in six comedy specials for networks such as Netflix, Showtime, and Comedy Central. Maniscalco’s success in comedy extends beyond the stand-up stage. His talents have translated to film, television, and podcasting. His new series Bookie, co-produced by Maniscalco and Chuck Lorre, premieres in November of 2023 on HBO MAX. The show follows a veteran bookie navigating the impending legalization of sports gambling and the evolving culture that bounces him around Los Angeles.
Credit: Peggy Sirota.
Maniscalco can be seen on the big screen in projects such as the animated feature film The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the Neil Bogart biopic Spinning Gold, and the dramedy Somewhere in Queens with Ray Romano and Laurie Metcalf. In 2023, Maniscalco marked his first role as a leading man when he co-wrote and starred in About My Father, loosely based on his Italian family experience, alongside Robert De Niro. Maniscalco also appeared in Martin Scorsese’s crime drama, The Irishman, and Peter Farrelly’s Oscar-winning Green Book.
Along with TV and standup, Maniscalco currently hosts two podcasts, Daddy vs. Doctor and The Pete and Sebastian Show. He is also the author of the national best-selling memoir, “Stay Hungry,” an inspiring, and honest collection of essays that traces his career from trials and tribulations – to reaching the pinnacles of comedy success.
“Hop on the ‘It Ain’t Right’ tour, where I’ll roast today’s absurdities – nonexistent manners, wallet-wincing prices, and the social media circus,” said Maniscalco. “Join me in laughing at the wrongs in this shameless world!”
Tickets will be available starting with artist presale on Wednesday, November 29. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on-sale beginning on Friday, December 1 at 10 a.m.
IT AIN’T RIGHT 2024 TOUR DATES:
Thu Jul 11 – Norfolk, VA – Norfolk Scope Arena
Fri Jul 12 – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
Sat Jul 13 – Asheville, NC – ExploreAsheville.com Arena
It was inevitable that the band would get something going for their 20th anniversary run, as you just don’t disregard an occasion like that for any reason – you just play. Fans waited for the announcement by the time IT was over, figuring that the band would go on its first Halloween run since 1998, adding to anticipation that the band would put on another musical costume, with endless limits.
poster by Hollie Dilley
However, as the band inspected exactly what the date of the first show was, so that a 20th anniversary was correctly timed, it seems that the date of 10/30/83 was incorrect, even though they had a 15th anniversary out in Vegas of 1998. As it turns out, the first show for the ROTC folks was 12/2/83, and they arranged a four night Northeast run to celebrate, with special guests at the first show, and an elongated show at the final destination, Boston’s Fleet Center, with a myriad of special guests guessed at in anticipation of something spectacular. The Boston show had its highlight in the set break montage video, but no special guests to mention of. Fans were happy though, as it was by far the hardest ticket since NYE 2002 to obtain, and those who were warm inside had no complaints from where they were sitting.
By far the coldest Phish run ever, the shows had snow, ice, wind, and more snow as the band progressed from Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, to the Wachovia Center in Philly, to the Knickerbocker Arena (note: not the Pepsi) in Albany, and the Fleet Center in Boston as part of a four-day run of shows many fans attempted to see all four of. The run could even be characterized as one gigantic show: Nassau was a solid opener, Philly was the bathroom/cigarette/beer break, Albany was the second set heat, and Boston was the after-party.
Outside at all these shows, it was far too cold/rainy/snowy to have a lot scene of any kind, so fans simply piled into bars and parking garages to peddle what they had to keep the tour afloat for themselves, in hopes they might make the next show, and/or home in the coming days.
Artwork by Drew Suto
Some fans felt that this run was spectacular, and perfectly executed, even though others wondered where the spark from summer 2003 went. At least a few older fans looked at the run as sealing the bands fate in their eyes, with the best years clearly behind them, especially after the Vegas 2004 run. Many fans wondered what happened, although Miami might have swayed some opinions in the end.
Nassau featured not only the highly appropriate guest in The Dude of Life on vocals for a rare (and final) ‘Crimes of the Mind’, but also a setbreak wedding of two highly committed fans of the band and each other. Making a Phish show your wedding venue was only done previously at the Clifford Ball, and a tribute to the concentrated community spirit of Phish.
poster by TRIPP
Philly had high-energy crowds a day after Nassau, but execution had some fans wondering what was up. Tom Marshall came up to sing lyrics to ‘Buffalo Bill’, a departure from his regular appearances on ‘Run Like an Antelope’. The Philly show left fan waiting for more indeed.
Albany, the second hometown to Phish, one of the regular tour starts, endings and all-around in-betweens, the Knick was the home to famous Dead shows and disks, as well as memorable Phish shows (see 12/13/97 – Bring on the Dude!). The entire atmosphere of this show was positive, as special guests at the two previous shows made fans wonder who was next to sit in. Following “YEM” in the second set, Trey brought up a very special guest, the band’s first guitarist (aside from Trey), who left the band under mysterious circumstances – Jeff Holdsworth. The original songs that he had written – “Camel Walk” and “Possum” – were played with a degree of both difficulty and success by Holdsworth with the band he left behind almost 17 years ago. A cover of “Long Cool Woman”, by the Hollies was played by the part-time quintet, a tribute to the first show that Holdsworth was playing at. By the time the band broke into Antelope, you could no longer hear Jeff, as his guitar was turned down to inaudible levels, as his playing could not keep up with the boys who ventured beyond the three-year mark. Tom Marshall came up to sing the original lyrics that he penned, and the show ended with a monster version of Hendrix’s “Fire”, again with Holdsworth. Fans were pleased to see him on stage again, but a computer operator in Canada definitely overstayed his welcome that evening in Albany.
However, the overall purpose for bringing Jeff out was a symbol that Phish was and is about family. Boston featured a memorable second set and a video montage during the setbreak that fans clamored to see, particularly since the first notes of Fluffhead were heard in a dormroom video from the early 1980s. This more than made up for a first set that many wondered if anything special would be brought out for the second set, particularly the special guests everyone talked about coming – Santana, the Giant Country Horns, anyone and everyone?! Fishman handed out a cake towards the front row during setbreak for fans to dive into, as many did, regardless of sticky hands that would not be cleaned till after the show. The second set did bring the heat fans were looking for, with monster versions of “Maze,” “Frankenstein,” and “Piper,” that made this show and run well worth it. Regardless, the detractors are present on the vibe/performance of this run, as it was an asterisk to many between a hot summer and even hotter time in Miami for New Years Eve.
Phish – Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY – Friday, November 28, 2003
Set 1: Bouncing Around the Room, Runaway Jim, Ghost > What’s the Use? > AC/DC Bag > First Tube, Frankie Says > Bathtub Gin -> Free
Set 2: Waves > Sample in a Jar > Down with Disease[1], Walls of the Cave, Two Versions of Me, Crowd Control[2], Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
Encore: Crimes of the Mind[3]
[1] Unfinished. [2] Debut. [3] The Dude of Life on vocals.
Disease was unfinished. This show included the debut of Crowd Control. Trey introduced Mike to sing “his song.” Crimes of the Mind (first since July 10, 1994 at SPAC – 504 shows) featured the Dude of Life on vocals. During the song, the Dude congratulated Phish on their 20 years together, and wished them success for 20 more.
Phish – Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA – Saturday, November 29, 2003
Set 1: Wilson > Cars Trucks Buses, Limb By Limb, Dirt > Seven Below, Divided Sky, Fast Enough for You > Julius
Set 2: Twist -> Simple > Taste > Makisupa Policeman[1], Buffalo Bill[2] > David Bowie, Strange Design > Character Zero
Encore: Friday
[1] Keyword referenced waking up in “Hempstead.” [2] Tom Marshall on vocals.
Trey teased San-Ho-Zay in Seven Below, Julius, and Twist. The lyrics to Makisupa referenced waking up “in Hempstead.” Later in Makisupa, Trey commented on the upcoming 20th anniversary of the band, and noted Makisupa as the first original Phish song ever played. Trey also commented on his long-standing friendship with Tom Marshall and said that Tom had written Makisupa when he was a child. Trey brought Tom out on stage and noted that he thought Makisupa was written in 1969, leading Tom to note that we “have a 60’s song.” Prior to Tom singing on Buffalo Bill, Trey noted: “Tom is now going to sing you a song about a boss, a log, and a piece of rope.”
Phish – Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY – Monday, December 1, 2003
Set 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Stash, Guyute, Thunderhead > Sparkle, Wolfman’s Brother > Good Times Bad Times
Set 2: Tweezer -> Also Sprach Zarathustra > You Enjoy Myself, Camel Walk[1], Possum[1], Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress[1] > Run Like an Antelope[2]
Encore: Fire[3]
[1] Jeff Holdsworth on guitar and vocals. [2] Jeff Holdsworth on guitar and Tom Marshall on vocals. [3] Jeff Holdsworth on guitar.
Tweezer was preceded by a Dixie tease. Camel Walk through Fire featured Jeff Holdsworth on guitar. This was Jeff’s first known performance with his former Phish brethren since May 17, 1986 (1,348 shows). Camel Walk, Possum, and Long Cool Woman (first since October 30, 1998, or 180 shows) also featured Jeff on lead vocals. Antelope featured Tom Marshall on vocals.
Phish – Fleet Center, Boston, MA – Tuesday, December 2, 2003
Set 1: Harry Hood > Cavern, Birds of a Feather, Ya Mar, Horn > Piper > Anything But Me, Water in the Sky, Down with Disease
Set 2: Rock and Roll -> Weekapaug Groove[1] -> Tweezer Reprise[2] > Frankenstein -> Kung -> Frankenstein, All of These Dreams, The Wedge, Boogie On Reggae Woman > Cities > Maze, Waste
Encore: Bug
[1] Unfinished. [2] Mike’s Song lyrics sung by Trey.
This gig commemorated the 20th anniversary of the first Phish show. In the audience, a section of seats were roped off to make way for a music stand. The music stand held a three-ring binder that contained lyrics from the Phish canon, but it did not play an active role in the performance. Ya Mar contained teases of The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana). At the end of Disease, a video screen descended behind the stage. As the house lights remained down, a 25+ minute video was played featuring retrospective highlights from throughout Phish’s career. Before the second set, Mike brought out a tray of desserts and shared them with fans in front of the stage. Highway to Hell was briefly teased by Trey before Rock and Roll. Weekapaug was unfinished. Tweezer Reprise included lyrics (sung by Trey) from Mike’s Song. Appropriately, the post-show house music was the Beatles’ song Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band (which begins with the lyric, “It was twenty years ago today…”).
A new live music venue called Electric Grinch has officially opened in Schenectady, a revamp of a once popular bar in the 1970s and 80s.
The venue opened its doors on November 16. The owner is Mitchell Ramsey, who also owns Jay St. Pub in Schenectady. What used to be a popular place for food, drinks, and live music more than 40 years ago on Erie Boulevard is now getting revamped into this new and exciting venue. The inside has a full bar, table seating, a stage large enough to accommodate full bands, a 1,000-square-foot back patio, and a 2,500-square-foot roof deck.
The venue is located at 116 Jay Street. The Electric Grinch is open Wednesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Friday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
The original Electric Grinch, courtesy of Times Union.
A full schedule and website are unavailable now, but check out their Instagram or Facebook for more information.
The vibrant dance scene in Albany is set to be illuminated once again as The Egg and the University at Albany join forces to present the groundbreaking Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company on Saturday, December 2 at 8 pm, part of the Dance in Albany series.
The performance promises to captivate audiences at The Egg at the Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany, marking a return to the Capital Region since their last appearance in 2015.
Founded in 1982, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company emerged from an extraordinary 11-year collaboration between Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane (1948–1988). This partnership not only redefined the duet form but also foreshadowed themes of identity, form, and social commentary that have left an indelible mark on American dance. With a global footprint encompassing over 200 cities across 40 countries, the company stands as a beacon of innovation and power in the dance-theater world.
The company’s repertoire is a testament to its diversity, exploring various subject matters, visual imagery, and stylistic approaches to movement, voice, and stagecraft. Collaborating with an eclectic array of artists, including Keith Haring, Cassandra Wilson, and Jenny Holzer, the company’s intensely collaborative creation process has yielded a rich tapestry of performances.
The upcoming program by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company will showcase “Love Redefined” from 1996 and “Story/” from 2013.
“Love Redefined,” inspired by the 1992 commission for the Lyon Opera Ballet titled “Love Defined,” is a powerful ensemble work that embodies Jones’ distinct and poetic style. Set to Daniel Johnston’s whimsical music and featuring décor by Donald Baechler, the performance is an energetic reflection on love and human relationships.
“Story/” is a reworking of “Story/Time” (2012), where chance plays a central role in choreography, music, lighting, set elements, and costumes. Set to Schubert’s String Quartet #14, Death and the Maiden, “Story/” draws from a trove of choreographic material spanning 35 years. The piece explores the dynamic interplay between movement and music, showcasing Jones’ exploration of the dramaturgical possibilities that arise from this interaction.
The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company has garnered numerous accolades, including New York Dance and Performance Awards (“Bessie”) for various productions. Noteworthy mentions include awards for “Chapel/Chapter” at Harlem Stage (2006) and “Deep Blue Sea” (2021). The company was also nominated for the 1999 Laurence Olivier Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Dance and Best New Dance Production.”
Before the performance, a Prelude talk sponsored by the Dance Alliance will take place at 7:15 pm at The Egg. Mary DiSanto-Rose, former Dance Department chair at Skidmore College, will engage in a conversation with Janet Wong, Associate Artistic Director of the company and New York Live Arts.
Tickets for the performance are priced at $36 and can be purchased at The Egg Box Office on the Concourse Level of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, by phone at 518-473-1845, and online at theegg.org.
Remaining performances in the Dance in Albany series promise a diverse and exciting lineup, including Mark Morris Dance Group (January 25), Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company with Capital Trio (January 27), Monica Bill Barnes & Company in “The Running Show” (February 3), NoGravity Theatre (February 9), Savion Glover (April 13), and Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company (May 18).
8th Step & Proctors Passport Series have announced an appearance from The Klezmatics at The GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady, performing their holiday show, The Klezmatics: Happy Joyous Hanukkah, on December 5th.
In the first show on the group’s nationwide tour, the Klezmatics will sing Woody Guthrie’s uncovered Hanukkah songs, alongside accompaniments from celebrated violinists.
The Klezmatics
The Klezmatics formed in New York in 1986, and are now one of the world’s most renowned klezmer artists, performing traditional klezmer music for audiences around the world. Klezmer originated in Eastern Europe in Ashkenazi communities, and includes instruments such as violin, clarinet, trumpet, percussion, and more.
The Klezmatics will perform songs originally by Woody Guthrie that have been newly uncovered in recent years. Guthrie himself was not Jewish, but married into a Jewish family in 1945 through his second wife, Marjorie Greenblatt. During their marriage, he wrote tunes such as “Hanuka’s Flame,” “Hanuka Gelt,” “Spin Dreydl Spin,” and “(Do the) Latke Flip-Flip.” The Klezmatics will perform these songs, and more from Guthrie’s expansive catalog.
GE Theater at Proctors
The Klezmatics are Lorin Sklamberg (lead vocals, accordion, guitar, piano), Frank London (trumpet, keyboards, vocals) and Paul Morrissett (bass, tsimbl, vocals), Matt Darriau (kaval, clarinet, saxophone, vocals), Lisa Gutkin (violin, vocals), and Richie Barshay (drums, vocals).
The Klezmatics will perform their show Happy Joyous Hanukkah at the 8th Step at Proctors (GE Theatre) on December 5 at 7:30PM. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door, and $65 Gold Circle (Includes priority seating and meet & greet with The Klezmatics onstage). Tickets are available through the Proctors Box Office at (518) 346-6204, or at proctors.org and 8thstep.org.
On a Friday evening in Albany, The Egg was cooking with bacon inside. Not your typical menu item, but when Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael came to The Egg, things definitely got cooked up during an all-too-brief concert.
photo by Karen Squires
The duo – one, an actor (Kevin), the other an Associate Professor at CUNY Lehman College (Michael) – share a deep love for American roots music, as well as DNA. For a quarter-century the pair have performed around the country playing what they call “Forosoco,” or a blend of folk, rock, soul, and country influences.
The show was short – 80 minutes including the encore – but worth it. Fans seemed content settling in for the show, which didn’t feel scripted, but definitely felt like the same show you’d catch anywhere else this tour. Kevin couldn’t resist making a comment about “a couple of Bacons in The Egg,” joining years of Egg jokes on stage that have even led to live album releases.
Michael and Kevin Bacon
Kevin took turns playing on a conga drum, tambourine and guitar, while Michael played guitar, cello, and autoharp at different points of the evening.
Highlights from the set include the moving “Tom Petty T-shirt,” the countrified rock of “Erato,” an angsty “Take off this Tattoo,” a cover of The Lovin Spoonful‘s “Do You Believe in Magic?,” “Ukulele Lady” with all on ukulele, making this stripped down song was the most soulful of the evening, and “She-Zee-Zee (Easy On My Eyes)”
For the encore, a cheesy “Hands Up” audience interaction song started things off. (Bands, take note: always get the audience involving songs going earlier in the set so they’re engaged early!) And just when you thought it was over, and maybe thought they weren’t gonna play it, the opening notes to “Footloose” began, and the front rows of the audience were up out of their seats grooving along, feet from the actor who made the song famous (apologies to Kenny Loggins). The fans and the band were dancing around, footloose as could be, transported back to 1984, for a moment, if not the evening.
And while the venue staff was a bit overzealous this evening with limiting any video recording (a first at The Egg), here’s a video from The Bacon Brothers at Daryl’s House a few years back.
Dogs In A Pile, a jam quintet, has announced their 2024 “Cross Country Winter Tour” starting in February, with one stop in Woodstock.
Forming in 2019 and hailing from Asbury Park, NJ – Dogs In A Pile is comprised of Berklee alumni and Billy Joel scholarship recipient Jeremy Kaplan (keyboardist), Berklee alumnus Brian Murray (guitarist) and Sam Lucid (bassist), and long-time Jersey Shore musicians Jimmy Law (guitarist) and Joey Babick (drums). Law and Babick have both been playing together since the young age of 11.
Upstate New York has been particularly special to this band in its formative year. This year, they’v sold out headlining nights and Rochester and Ithaca, as well as several festivals in the surrounding area. On top of their stop in Woodstock, they’ll also be celebrating New Year’s Eve in Saratoga Springs at Putnam Place.
Dogs In A Pile (DIAP) will start 2024 off in Texas. February 1 -3 will mark a trio of Texas firsts – with inaugural headlining stops in Houston at Last Concert Cafe, Austin at Antone’s and Dallas at Deep Ellum Art Co.
Following their run deep in the heart of the US, the Dogs and Andy Frasco & The U.N. will add to their recent string of collaborations with six shows together. The bands have meshed well on stage – elevating each other’s already high level of creativity, energy and fun-filled atmospheres that fans have come to expect from both groups. Among the stretch will come DIAP’s first time playing in the state of Oklahoma (on February 9 at Beer City Music Hall in Oklahoma City).
Winter Tour will also include a two-night run at the historic Bluebird Theater in Denver, CO on February 16 and 17. The band and the “Mile High City” have gotten to know each other well in 2023, with the Dogs netting four consecutive sellouts at Lost Lake Lounge back in March and April. Around that same time, the band played all across “The Centennial State” during a formative tour dubbed “The Winter Rescue Tour.” More recently, when opening for Pigeons Playing Ping Pong in November, they played in front of their largest indoor crowd to date – 2,000 people at The Mission Ballroom.
The newly announced 20 dates will culminate on St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The four-day affair features a pair of two-night runs in Pembroke, MA and Burlington, VT. After selling out their last Boston-area gig at The Sinclair, they’ll return to Soundcheck Studios on March 14 and 15. The tour then concludes at the much-lauded Nectar’s – the site of 47 Phish shows from 1984-1989. The Dogs will play their first two at the fabled Vermont spot on March 16 and 17.
The five-piece are rounding out an extensive fall tour that will end on December 8 in Raleigh, NC. They’ll close out the calendar year with a pair of holiday gigs at the legendary Stone Pony on December 15 and 16, a Phish after-party at Sony Hall on December 28, and their first headlining New Year’s Eve run in Saratoga Springs on December 30 and 31.
