Category: Westchester

The ‘Wilco Weekend’ Finale at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester was a Show for the Ages

Kicking off the spring with a tour in support of their twelfth studio album (Cruel Country, dBpm Records) released in May 2022, recorded live at their studio known as The Loft, Wilco played three consecutive sold-out performances this past weekend at The Capitol Theatre located in the center of downtown Port Chester. As one of 1,800 lucky participants to attend the Chicagoans residency finale on Saturday night (April Fool’s Day) and witness their multi-genre talents, all were treated to an eclectic blend of experimental rock, indie art rock and alternative country.

Dubbed the “American Radiohead” due to their stylistically diverse catalog, Wilco’s career-spanning trio of shows at the iconic concert hall constructed nearly a century ago boasted no repeat songs. Their setlists from Thursday, Friday and Saturday night included a whopping total of sixty-nine different offerings, making for the perfect recipe of deep cuts and crowd favorites that were presented to their adoring fans.

Promptly at 7:30 pm, fellow Chicago natives Horsegirl unassumingly strolled onto the stage. Formed a little more than three years ago when they bonded over their shared love for acts like Sonic Youth, Stereolab and Pavement, the punk-infused trio of indie-rockers comprised of Nora Cheng (guitar, vocals), Penelope Lowenstein (guitar, vocals) and Gigi Reece (drums) have been providing support each night of Wilco’s residency at The Cap, including Wilco’s three night residency a couple of weeks back at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago.

Speaking of Pavement, I first witnessed the immense talent of these young women back in October 2022 when they also opened for said band at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. Although it was merely six months ago, their growth as a live act has blossomed since then, and they are surely on the right path to a bright future in the music business.

With a palpable, undeniable chemistry, Horsegirl performed a 28-minute set filled with guitar feedback and hypnotic melodies during a collection of songs taken from their debut album (Versions of Modern Performance, Matador Records) released in June 2022, including Homage to “Birdnoculars,” “World of Pots and Pans,” “Option 8” and “Anti-glory.”

As I stood in the photo pit talking with fans along the steel barricade, all of whom were waiting with eager anticipation for the roadies to finish preparing the stage and Wilco’s instruments, I reminisced about the very first time I witnessed the greatness of Wilco. It was here at The Cap, way back on October 30, 2014, when Wilco were celebrating their 20 year anniversary as a rock ‘n’ roll outfit. The night I was in attendance, like tonight, was also the third consecutive sold-out evening of a residency stint that has hosted legendary artists the likes of Janis Joplin, Traffic, Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead.

At 8:30 pm sharp, when the house lights suddenly went dark, I raised my trusted Nikon “Kamera” to my eye as the sextet of frontman and guitarist Jeff Tweedy, guitarist Nels Cline, bassist John Stirratt, drummer Glenn Kotche, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone and keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen took the stage to thunderous applause. Tonight’s two-hour, 23-song set that would bridge nine studio albums altogether – only offerings from 1995’s debut album (A.M.), 2015’s Star Wars and 2016’s Schmilco would be absent – commenced with two tunes from their fifth studio album (A Ghost Is Born, 2004), including “At Least That’s What You Said,” followed by “Spiders (Kidsmoke).”

As I remained in the photo pit for the third song of the night (“The Universe”), taken from the newest addition to their discography Cruel Country, I reminded myself to unglue my eyes from the band in front of me and occasionally glance at the thousands of fan faces behind me. The expressions I witnessed included sheer joy and complete awe, and even one guy headbanging incessantly as he clutched the rail in front of him with both hands. Then, with the song nearing its end, Cline’s guitar tech quickly emerged from the dark shadows at stage right and began working on what appeared to be the pedal board.

While the technical snafu lasted for several minutes until it was successfully resolved by either a repair or a complete change-out of the rig, it resulted in an impromptu setlist change as “Jesus, Etc.” (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, 2001) moved up to the fourth song slot – it was originally slated to be the last song before the encore. Tweedy, taking advantage of the rare down time, also executed a “Tight Five Comedy Set” where he explained the rules behind winning the “Best Behaved” trophy awarded to only one lucky audience member each night. He also enlightened us that even Horsegirl claimed the top prize back at one of Wilco’s recent Chicago gigs.

The bulk of the main set, which included one musical treasure after another, had Wilco fans dancing with each other, as well as in the aisles. Whereas queues of fans had inundated the venue’s bars and merch tables earlier in the night, they were non-existent now that Wilco was playing. With too many incredible tracks to dive into for this concert review, a few highlights (to name but a few) included the title track from 2011’s The Whole Love, two more songs from Cruel Country (“Mystery Binds” and “Tired of Taking It Out on You”), “Impossible Germany” from 2007’s Sky Blue Sky (there were six total tracks performed tonight from this formative LP) and “Laminated Cat,” a cover song dating back to 2003 by the indie rock supergroup of Tweedy and Kotche, along with multi-instrumentalist Jim O’Rourke of Sonic Youth.

After nearly 100 minutes on a non-stop musical journey, Tweedy and his bandmates, in prime form all night long, collected their breath backstage. After a short recess, our heroes reappeared onstage with Tweedy exclaiming, “I hope you all had as much fun as we have,” before launching into “The Late Greats” (A Ghost Is Born). The gifts kept on coming in the four song encore with “Heavy Metal Drummer” (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot), “A Shot in the Arm” (from 1999’s third studio album Summerteeth) and the final number, “On and On and On” (Sky Blue Sky).

From the box office to the security personnel to the bartenders to the ushers and of course, to the fans, it’s always a memorable time at The Cap, and Saturday night’s closing show was certainly no exception. One of America’s most critically acclaimed acts, Wilco’s rich history of music for nearly the past three decades has made them a beloved band on a generational scale. My NYS Music colleague Chris McShane, a diehard fan since 2007 who attended all three residency shows at The Cap and has seen them perform live more than forty times, proclaimed “What’s amazing is that Wilco is still getting better and better over time, and their three-night run at The Cap had all of their incredible skills on full display. If and when they return to the venue, you’ll want to grab a ticket, whether you’ve never seen them before or are a seasoned veteran of a Wilco show.”

Next up for Wilco is a trip to Reykjavik, Iceland for another three night, sold-out residency on April 6-8. The spring tour continues back in the United States with a stopover at the High Water Festival in North Charleston, South Carolina (April 16), followed by eleven more dates culminating in Athens, Ohio on April 30. Additionally, Tweedy will be performing solo at the Vic Theatre in Chicago, Illinois for a pair of dates on May 19 and 20.

Wilco are also set to release an alternate version to their seminal album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot for Record Store Day on April 22, dubbed Crosseyed Strangers: An Alternate Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Only 4,500 copies of the vinyl will be available to purchase through participating record stores, so you’ll have to act fast!

Wilco Setlist: At Least That’s What You Said > Spiders (Kidsmoke) > The Universe > Jesus, Etc. > You Are My Face > Whole Love > Mystery Binds > I’ll Fight > Side With the Seeds > One and a Half Stars > Tired of Taking It Out on You > Everyone Hides > Impossible Germany > Sunken Treasure > Laminated Cat (Loose Fur cover) > Reservations > Either Way > Hate It Here > Dawned on Me > Encore: The Late Greats > Heavy Metal Drummer > A Shot in the Arm > On and On and On

HORSEGIRL GALLERY

WILCO GALLERY

April 5, 2023
Disco Biscuits Continue Remarkable Consistency During Capitol Theatre Run

Fresh off live scoring The Fifth Element at The Caverns in Tennessee, The Disco Biscuits marched north to Port Chester for three nights at The Capitol Theatre over March 23-25, quite possibly their strongest run at the ‘Original Rock Palace,’ dating back to 2016.

Few bands display the consistency the Disco Biscuits have displayed as of late, going back nearly a year to their last Capitol Theatre run, which has been followed by more than a dozen original song debuts that have quickly become part of the rotation.

From the crowd, the band looks like they’re having a blast on stage, rocking out to the music they’re creating, feeding off their own creation just as the fans are, creating a live camaraderie that is rarely seen. From the stage, one can see the band is getting down while watching the fans do the same, all while creating live electronic music to an unmatched degree of quality, making it look like just another day at the office.

Typically, Thursday of a three-night Cap run has been more of a ‘‘warm up night,’ as the band gets comfortable in the room. The shows have been great, but have been overshadowed by stellar Friday and Saturday shows. This was not the case this weekend, given the way the band has been playing, as there was no warm up needed and Thursday was on par if not stronger than the next two nights.

Starting the run with a jam that evolved into an almost 20-minute “Gangster,” a “Spacebirdmatingcall” sandwiched “Cyclone” that found Jon “Barber” Gutwillig hitting next level peaks as the industrial techno beat took over. As the set reached the second half, two rarely played songs, “Trooper McCue” and “Floes” appeared, a double dose of early Biscuits, with the more recent “Lake Shore Drive” fitting in nicely in between.

A rarely played “Park Ave” made its third appearance since 2011, and second this year, opening up the second set, then dipping into an inverted “Shelby Rose” which was last performed inverted style at the Capitol Theatre in 2019. The flowing set continued with an inverted “Reactor” which found Barber taking a section for “a couple of laps” as bassist Marc Brownstein put it. The set would close with ”Evolve,” a 2021 composition that gives off a late 90s Eurodance vibe, segueing into a 20-minute set closing “Caterpillar.” With a short encore slot leftover, “Portal To An Empty Head” put a exclamation point on a night that to some was the highlight of the run, but if anything, simply foreshadowed the greatness of the next two nights that followed.

Setlists via Biscuits Internet Project 2.0

The Disco Biscuits – Thursday, March 23 – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester

Set 1: Jam > Gangster > Spacebirdmatingcall > Cyclone > Spacebirdmatingcall, Trooper McCue, Lake Shore Drive > Floes
Set 2: Park Ave > Shelby Rose 1 > Reactor 1 > Evolve > Caterpillar
Encore: Portal To An Empty Head
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Friday night featured opener Dogs in a Pile, a New Jersey band that was making waves prior to the pandemic and who have not looked back in that time, touring across the country and building a ‘Dog Pound’ fanbase in the meantime. The full set is worth a listen, especially the final tune, “Time Stands Still,” with Ben Pinnola on saxophone.

When it comes to the Disco Biscuits, anything can be a jam vehicle, nearly everything is in play – new songs, old songs, fan favorites, rare covers – and that is what makes the band so enjoyable to see show after show, no matter if you last saw them a week ago or five years ago.

Cracking open the first set was “Shocked,” which stands to be the first song from the band’s forthcoming “Space Rock Opera,” and had fans shouting “Shocked” as if the tune was a longtime part of the repertoire. A stand alone “Digital Buddha” followed, with the pace accelerated by Barber and drummer Allen Aucoin to a furious froth, giving unparalleled energy as the song reached its peak.

Among all new debuted songs, a clear fan favorite is “Twisted in the Road,” which would proceed to sandwich three songs in between a “Twisted” 22 minute jawn, with lyrics “Let it run and let it roll” becoming a mantra for Biscuits fans in the process. “Bombs” made a return appearance at The Capitol Theatre (played in 2017 and 2019) after being brought off the shelf by fan request at a Drive-In show in May 2021. “Orch Theme,” the ever-welcome dark electronic Conspirator song arrived out of “Bombs,” bringing the rare “Rainbow Song” from the ashes of “Orch Theme,” before winding back into “Twisted in the Road” to close the set and reach the halfway point of the run.

Set 2 began with the fresh “Freeze” that ran for nearly 25 minutes and exemplified one of the best elements of the Disco Biscuits – you can easily forget what song you’re dancing to, and happily so. In the moment, it doesn’t matter what song it is when they’re jamming at this level of consistency, making song chasing secondary to enjoying these jams more than ever before. Anything is in play with improvisation opportunities found at all turns.

The middle section of “Crickets” gave way to “Another Plan of Attack” and “Space Train,” and then an inverted “Above The Waves” that clocked in at a raging 20 minutes. “One Chance To Save The World” closed the set with “King of the World” celebrating this powerful set in the encore slot.

Setlists via Biscuits Internet Project 2.0

The Disco Biscuits – Friday, March 24 – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester

Set 1: Shocked, Digital Buddha, Twisted in the Road > Bombs > Orch Theme > Rainbow Song > Twisted in the Road
Set 2: Freeze > Crickets 1 > Another Plan of Attack > Space Train > Above The Waves 2 > One Chance To Save The World
Encore: King of the World
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2 Inverted

Opening Saturday night was Eggy, who has been on the rise as of late and had recently opened for Twiddle at The Capitol Theatre in November 2022. This remarkable Connecticut band has excellent stage presence and precision jamming, with Jerry Garcia Band’s “Gomorrah” a fitting cover for the room.

The Biscuits’ first set opened up with stand alone versions of “Story of the World” and “Astronaut,” a departure from the sandwiching of other tunes inside segments of these compositions. A classic “Little Shimmy In A Conga Line” had a percussion segment that was unique and fit the jam well, and may have been exploring a shift into “O Fortuna” (a cantata by Carl Orff), from the Biscuits’ catalog of classical covers. Shortly after, “Shimmy” started to give off “Digital Buddha,” but having already played “Buddha” the night before, this meant the audio doppleganger for “Buddha” – “Tricycle” – was on the horizon.

The last two minutes of “Shimmy” made it seem as though the band would be dipping into one of their most high energy songs for a segue. Then out of left field came a short, sweet and nasty “Tempest” that provided a bridge to the full on “Tricycle,” which had the crowd singing along in unison like no other in recent memory, the four fully dialed in for this fusion of sound and bringing the audience along with them for the ride. The newer “Vibes” hit the spot out of “Tricycle” and found its way into the ending of “Svenghali” to close the set on a high mark.

The first set had so much energy and hit all the right spots, contending quickly for ‘Set of the Weekend.’ The general consensus at setbreak gave no notes, no criticisms and no hot takes other than ‘these guys are on fire.”

Sorry if that sounds like hyperbole, but the dedicated fan base is in agreement that the band is as dialed in and consistent as they’ve ever been. So when it came time for Set 2, the crowd was abuzz as the setlist was confirmed to be written by longtime Biscuits audio engineer Rich Steele, celebrating his 300th show this evening. The set unfolded as a dissection of one of the Biscuits’ earliest songs, “Basis For a Day” spread out over the 90 minute set with four of the newer ‘Space Opera’ songs woven in between, leading fans to coin the fluid set “Spaces for a Day.“

If you hadn’t heard “Basis For a Day” in a minute, you were in for a treat. The band opened up with “Basis,” segueing into “The Wormhole” before finding their way back to “Basis.” Despite only debuting nine months ago, “Who’s In Charge” has found its home in regular rotation and followed the second “Basis,” with a driving beat behind Barber’s repeated query “Who’s in charge….. of this place right here?” From there, it was back into “Basis” for round 3, followed by “The Deal,” a song so new it had only been played three times prior to this evening. Back into “Basis” and then “To Be Continued,” with a new wave/techno riff from Aron Magner, seeming to be a song towards the end of the Space Opera. By the time they went back into “Basis” for a final time, nearly 90 minutes had passed but fans didn’t notice as they were far too busy getting down.

You couldn’t find a stronger way to cap the run with a set of this nature, where knowledge of the band’s collective level of consistency in performance and songwriting was put high on a pedestal for all to see. Weaving the band’s unnamed/unreleased “Space Opera” in and out of one of their most performed songs was a master stroke and paid dividends for everyone in attendance. A fitting encore of “We Like To Party” framed the three night run, with the band and fans in unison proclaiming enthusiastically, loudly and proudly, “We like to dance, sorry if you don’t.”

Don’t sleep on the Disco Biscuits – they’re in Colorado this coming weekend for four shows, head down south for four more in May before heading to Iceland for their first international jaunt in well over a decade. Tour dates for the summer have just been announced, which find the band touring up the east coast in June for eight shows, starting in South Carolina on June 7 and closing out with two nights at Mulcahey’s in Wantagh. Here’s hoping for more details on the upcoming “Space Opera” as the year progresses.

Setlists via Biscuits Internet Project 2.0

The Disco Biscuits – Saturday, March 25 – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester

Set 1: Story of the World, Astronaut, Little Shimmy In A Conga Line > Tempest > Tricycle > Vibes > Svenghali 1
Set 2: Basis For A Day > The Wormhole > Basis For A Day > Who’s in Charge > Basis For A Day > The Deal > Basis For A Day > To Be Continued > Basis For A Day
Encore: We Like To Party
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Photos by Filip Zalewski

March 28, 2023
In Focus: Regina Spektor Plays Capitol Theatre

Regina Spektor opened up to her crowd at the Capitol Theatre on Thursday, March 16. Of all the dates on her spring tour, which kicked off in Ithaca earlier this month, it was the nearest show to the neighborhood in which she grew up in The Bronx.

About midway through the set, Spektor opened up about her Bronx roots. She told the crowd how she and her family came to know violinist Samuel Marder and his late wife Sonia Vargas. An accomplished classical musician, Vargas became her piano teacher. Samuel and his sister Eva—both Holocaust survivors—were in attendance at the show. And Spektor was wearing a dress that had belonged to Sonia and was gifted to her by Samuel.

Spektor understandably needed a moment to gather herself after recalling all of that, wearing a dress that had belonged to Sonia and was gifted to her by Samuel. She then launched into the powerful “Ink Stains,” a song that she was inspired to write after she first heard there was such a thing as a Holocaust denier. It was just one song from the twenty in her setlist, but it was the perfect representation of the mood she established on stage over the course of the night: kind, humble, warm, and absolutely not afraid to say what needs to be said.

Openness and kindness were themes throughout the night. Spektor spoke to the crowd as if she were talking to a close friend, and her performance was on point. Even during a set that continuously displayed her versatility, “Poor Little Rich Boy” stood out. That song features Spektor playing percussion on a wooden chair with her right arm and keyboard with her left as she sings.

Between her immense musical talent and ability to connect with the crowd, Spektor had the entire venue hanging on her every word.

Regina Spektor – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester – Thursday, March 16, 2023

Setlist: Ain’t No Cover, Folding Chair, Becoming All Alone, Loveology, Baby Jesus, Better, What Might Have Been, Eet, Ink Stains, Silly Eye-Color Generalizations, Bobbing for Apples, That Time, Ballad of a Politician, Poor Little Rich Boy, Après Moi, Raindrops, Spacetime Fairytale, Us, Fidelity
Encore: Samson

March 20, 2023
Phil Lesh Celebrates 83rd Birthday at The Cap with Friends

Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh performs this week at The Capitol Theatre with a slew of talented musicians for four nights, which started on March 15, Phil’s birthday show. Sunday will see Phil notch his 100th show at The Cap, capping off the celebration.

For Phil’s birthday show, he was joined by Rick Mitarotonda, Grahame Lesh, James Casey, Natalie Cressman, Jennifer Hartswick, John Medeski, & John Molo. The show started off running with “Help On the Way > Slipknot”, with the first set including Deadhead favorites such as “Cumberland Blues” and “Scarlet Begonias”. Later in the set, James Casey’s vocals on “Fire on The Mountain” were masterful.

The second set opened up with “Not Fade Away,” filled with explorative jamming which peaked with a psychedelic “The Wheel” and an energetic “Let it Grow” to close out the set.

Owner of The Capitol Theatre, Peter Shapiro, came on stage to surprise Phil Lesh with a birthday cake. The crowd proceeded to sing “Happy Birthday” to Phil, before the band concluding their encore with a classic “I Know You Rider.”

Phil Lesh – The Capitol Theatre – Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Set 1: Help on the Way > Slipknot! > Cumberland Blues, Dire Wolf, Scarlet Begonias, Fire on the Mountain, Franklin’s Tower
Set 2: Not Fade Away, Playing in the Band, St. Stephen > The Other One > Long Time Gone > The Wheel > Let It Grow
Encore: Donor Rap, Happy Birthday to You, I Know You Rider

March 18, 2023
Caramoor in Westchester Announces 2023 Summer Season Events

Caramoor, a cultural arts destination located on a unique 80-plus-acre estate in Northern Westchester County, has announced its events for the 2023 summer season.

Some of the many talents coming to Caramoor this summer.

Caramoor’s curated concert season presents performers representing a vast array of backgrounds and lived experiences, including classical live performances, American roots, jazz, and more. The estate sits on beautiful grounds, including the historic Rosen House, a stunning mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Edward J. Lewis III, Caramoor’s President and Chief Executive Officer, elaborated on the experiences one can have at the venue.

True to the vision of our founders, Caramoor is the place where you can be transformed by the convergence of an exciting and diverse mix of remarkable live music performances, stunning gardens and grounds, and the beauty of an art-filled historic home. The Caramoor experience leaves both the artist and audience refreshed and renewed and compels all to return again and again.
Edward J. Lewis III

There are five venues for performances, for more large-scale ones, those can go beneath the open-sided tent of the Venetian Theater surrounded by woods (cap: 1,220), while casual concerts on Friends Field offer a more relaxed vibe (cap: 1,000). More intimate settings include the outdoor Spanish Courtyard (cap: 388) and the Sunken Garden, the venue for Caramoor’s Music & Meditation series, classical guitar performances, and more. This summer, guests can attend intimate classical recitals in the Music Room, which was once the living room of Caramoor’s founders, Walter and Lucie Rosen (cap: 192).

The summer season runs from June 17-Aug. 18. Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award–winning singer and actor Audra McDonald opens with an Opening Night Gala featuring classics from the Great American Songbook, led by her longtime musical director Andy Einhorn conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke’s (OSL).

Described as “one of the most versatile and galvanic ensembles in the U.S,” by WQXR, OSL returns twice this summer, first with passionate pianist Hélène Grimaud and conductor Lina González-Granado for a program of Gabriela Lena Frank’s Elegía Andina, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G and Brahms’s Second Symphony on July 16. The next performance on Aug. 6 features MacArthur “genius grant”-winning cellist Alisa Weilerstein, along with conductor Roderick Cox, joining OSL for Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and George Walker’s Lyric for Strings.

Audra McDonald

New Music

Brooklyn Rider performs its “Four Elements” program at Caramoor on June 23, exploring the elements (earth, air, water, and fire) as a metaphor for the complex inner world of the string quartet and the current health of planet Earth. The program also includes works by Shostakovich, Osvaldo Golijov, and a Suite of American Folk Songs, collected/transcribed by Ruth Crawford Seeger and arranged by Brooklyn Rider violinist Colin Jacobsen.

Caramoor’s 2022-23 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence (ESSQIR) is the Ivalas Quartet – with a mission to champion diverse voices and spotlight Black and indigenous composers. Their yearlong residency concludes with a performance on June 29, including the world premiere of a Caramoor commission by Derrick Skye, a composer with Ghanian, Nigerian, Native American, and British/Irish ancestry who believes music is a doorway into the understanding of other cultures. Also on the program are works by Jessie Montgomery, Carlos Simon, and Eleanor Alberga.

Hailed by The New York Times as “a lush, brooding celebration of noise,” Andy Akiho’s Grammy-nominated Seven Pillars comes to Caramoor on June 30, his most ambitious project to date. Performed by Sandbox Percussion, the evening-length work is the largest-scale chamber music work that Akiho has written and that Sandbox has commissioned, their ongoing collaboration on the piece has spanned the past eight years. There will be a 7:00 p.m. pre-concert talk with members of the ensemble.

The New York Times declared that “America’s most astonishing choir…” The Crossing, led by Donald Nally, “combines an embrace of the new, a social conscience, and fearless technique.” They will perform the New York premiere of Ted Hearne’s FARMING for free on July 9 in the Sunken Garden. There will also be a pre-concert talk with Hearne, Nally, and director Ashley Tata.

Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto and celebrated American composer and pianist Nico Muhly collaborate on an intimate evening of unexpected musical connections on July 27. They reunite in a different format the following night, when The Knights perform the New York premiere of Muhly’s violin concerto titled Shrink, with Kuusisto as soloist. The Knights are dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audience and music.

The Knights

The rotating annual Sonic Innovations sound art exhibition is curated by Chicago-based sound artist and Northwestern University professor Stephan Moore. New this summer is Dyning in the Dovecote by Liz Phillips, an interactive sound installation where one can hear sounds of water, insects, dove calls and bird wings flicke, while underwater sound transducers create ripple patterns on the surface of the fountain. The official opening of Sonic Innovations and the grounds will take place at “Soundscapes” on June 4.

Baroque Music: Caccini’s Alcina, Handel’s Acis and Galatea, Ruckus

Caramoor welcomes the Boston Early Music Festival production of Francesca Caccini’s La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina, the first known opera by a female composer, to the Venetian Theater on June 25. Co-music directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs and director Gilbert Blin lead a stellar cast of Baroque soloists including mezzo-soprano Mireille Lebel, tenor Colin Balzer, and mezzo-soprano Virginia Warnken Kelsey. July 7 brings Baroque supergroup Ruckus, with soloists Rachell Ellen Wong– the only early music artist ever to win the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant – on violin and Emi Ferguson on flute.

On July 23, another Baroque opera graces the stage, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, with the original 1718 version of Handel’s Acis and Galatea, one of the composer’s most popular dramatic works, led by Richard Egarr. There will be a pre-concert lecture with MIT professor emeritus and Handel scholar Ellen T. Harris.

Chamber music and recitals

July 13 has Davóne Tines at the intimate Spanish Courtyard with a program of spiritual and intellectual exploration titled Recital No 1: Mass, with pianist Adam Nielsen, featuring works by Caroline Shaw, J.S. Bach, Tyshawn Sorey, Margaret Bonds, and Julius Eastman. Austin-based, internationally celebrated Miró Quartet, formed in 1995 and one of Caramoor’s earliest quartets-in-residence, performs as well.

The Dover Quartet returns with classical saxophonist, composer, and 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant winner Steven Banks, performing Banks’s recent quintet Cries, Sighs, and Dreams. July 20 brings pianist-composer Conrad Tao, performing a collaborative event with choreographer-dancer Caleb Teicher titled “Counterpoint.” It is a dynamic interplay of piano and tap dance that includes works by J.S. Bach, Brahms, Mozart, Gershwin, Ravel, Schoenberg, and more.

Pianist Garrick Ohlsson, who 53 years later remains the only American to have ever won the Chopin International Piano Competition, performs an all-Chopin recital in the Venetian Theater on July 30. This summer, Tengyue Zhang – who received First Prize in the 2017 Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) International Concert Artists Competition, plays music by J.S. Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Albéniz, Rameau, and more at the Sunken Garden on Aug. 3.

A new series debuting this summer, Recitals in the Music Room comprises hour-long programs on Saturdays in the late afternoon. Alexander Hersh is joined by pianist Christopher Goodpasture for the first concert on July 8, including works by Debussy, Paul Wiancko, Webern, Mendelssohn, and Sollima. Chinese pianist Zhu Wang, winner of the 2020 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, will perform the music of Schumann, Beethoven, Stravinsky, William Grant Still, and Zhang Zhao on Aug. 5.

Jazz Festival and Events

Caramoor’s annual Jazz Festival returns on July 22, presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center and headlined by six-time Grammy-winning vocalist and MacArthur Grant recipient Cécile McLorin Salvant. Caramoor’s second Hot Jazz Age Frolic, featuring the 17-piece Eyal Vilner Big Band, takes place in the Friends Field tent on June 18. Two-time Grammy winner Samara Joy performs on Aug. 4.

Samara Joy.

Broadway/Pops: Over the Rainbow: The Music of Harold Arlen

Stage, jazz, and television artist Aisha de Haas, celebrated vocalist Mikaela Bennett, and Broadway actors and singers Nicholas Ward and Julie Benko join multi-faceted, Tony Award-winning orchestrator and musical director Ted Sperling for “Over the Rainbow,” an all-Harold Arlen evening in the Venetian Theater. Composer of over 500 songs, Arlen collaborated with some of the 20th century’s most notable lyricists on songs including “Over the Rainbow,” “Stormy Weather,” “Get Happy,” and more. The event takes place on July 8.

To celebrate Independence Day, Curt Ebersole and the Westchester Symphonic Winds return to Caramoor on July 2 for their annual Pops & Patriots concert. There will be guest vocalists and more performing patriotic tunes.

American Roots: Brandy Clark, Mary Chapin Carpenter & more

Caramoor’s American Roots Music Festival, an all-day celebration of the best in Americana, blues, folk, and bluegrass, returns on June 24. Headlining the festival this summer is acclaimed singer/songwriter and ten-time Grammy nominee Brandy Clark. Her songs have been recorded by the likes of George Strait, Carly Pearce with Patty Loveless, Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, Sheryl Crow, and many others, and she co-wrote the score for the new Broadway musical Shucked. Daytime artists for the American Roots Music Festival include Sunny War, Miko Marks, and the Mike Block Trio, with more artists to be announced soon.

On Aug. 5, Mary Chapin Carpenter performs her most recent album The Diry and the Stars. She is the winner of five Grammy Awards, two CMA Awards and is one of only 15 women inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Mary Chapin Carpenter

This summer, six Roots and world music concerts are held for the Concerts on the Lawn series, happening at Friends Field. The series opens on June 22 with a nod to Juneteenth featuring the Harlem Gospel Travelers. Closing out the Caramoor season and Concerts on the Lawn on Aug. 18 is Chicago-based singer/songwriter Neal Francis, whose new album In Plain Sight is a “must hear” according to Rolling Stone.

Global Music: Oumou Sangaré, Arooj Aftab, DakhaBrakha & more

Plena Libre are multi-Grammy-nominated masters of the traditional Puerto Rican plena and bomba styles, fusing well-loved traditions with modern Afro-Caribbean influences. On July 1, they will be performing at Caramoor. With roots in Ukrainian folklore and music filtered through punk, cabaret, rock, and hip-hop, DakhaBrakha is an award-winning quartet from Kyiv. On July 14 they will combine various instruments from multiple countries and powerful vocals to create an evening of “ethnic chaos” and national pride.

Grammy Award-winner Oumou Sangaré mixes traditional African percussion, distinctive vocals, and progressive social criticism, returning to the Venetian Theater at Caramoor after 12 years on July 15. She will perform a program that ranges from traditional Wassoulou music to contemporary African sounds, as well as songs from her recent critically acclaimed album, Timbuktu.

Brooklyn-based singer and composer Arooj Aftab, the first Pakistani woman to win a Grammy, brings her new project “Love in Exile” to Friends Field on July 29 with two of her most trusted collaborators, pianist Vijay Iyer and multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily. The New York Times said: “Her voice is contemplative, breathy and relaxed, with the intimacy of indie-pop and jazz though she occasionally uses the microtonal embellishments of classical South Asian singing.”

Brooklyn-based electronic indie band Balún fuses Caribbean rhythms, Dembow (old-school reggaeton), intelligent dance music (IDM), and dreamy dance-pop tunes with the traditional sounds of their Puerto Rican homeland. On Aug. 11, they will be performing “music that you can sleep to while dancing.” Aug. 16 brings what NPR describes as “a sonic experience of epic proportions” in the form of composer, bandleader, and bassist Michael Olatuja, blending the sounds of Lagos, Nigeria (his hometown), London (his birthplace), and New York (his current home).

Music and Meditation in the Garden

Promoting mindful listening, the Music & Meditation in the Garden series on three Saturday mornings in July in the Sunken Garden comprises a meditation led by Jennifer Llewelyn followed by a performance. The first event on July 1 features the duo of violinist and ERS alum Tessa Larkand bassist Michael Thurber, member of Stephen Colbert’s house band.

Next on July 15 is Celtic harpist Maeve Gilchrist, whose music has been described by the Irish Times as “buoyant, sprightly, and utterly beguiling” performing with guitarist Kyle Sanna. The series concludes with a string quartet performance from the Harlem Chamber Players on July 29.

Children’s Programming

Caramoor also mentors young professional musicians and provides music-centered educational programs for young children. One of Caramoor’s new ventures this summer is devoted to its youngest demographic: children ages 2–6 and their guardians. On Friday mornings at 11 a.m., the series Concerts for Little Ones, featuring world-class artists, will invite children to sing and dance to diverse styles of music. On July 7, the Musiquita program is presented by husband-and-wife team Blanca Cecilia González and Jesse Elder, who playfully explore Spanish and English music and song.

On June 18, a family concert with the Eyal Vilner Swing Band called “Gotta Swing!” will explore the history of jazz with dancers Nathan Bugh, Gaby Cook, Jennifer Jones, and Ray Davis.

Bassoonist Alexander Davis, one of Caramoor’s teaching artists, brings along some friends on July 14 to give a guided tour of his unique woodwind instrument. Finally, on July 21 two-time Grammy-nominated trumpeter Alphonso Horne brings the series to a close with the irresistible rhythms and energy of New Orleans jazz.

For more information on Caramoor’s 2023 summer season events and to purchase tickets, go here.

March 14, 2023
Five Nights of Goose at The Capitol Theatre

Goose and their flock of fans have descended upon Port Chester for five nights of indie jam rock. With three nights down, there have been debuts, fresh covers and a sit-in from none other than Jim my Fallon.

Photo by Cory Schwartz

Sunday, March 12

Goose closed out their five-night stand at the Capitol Theatre on Sunday night with a blazing hot show packed with pockets of dense improvisation.

Opening the night with “Time to Flee,” the quintet wasted absolutely no time and delivered a punchy 17-minute version highlighting guitarist Rick Mitarotonda’s scorching guitar tone and playing. The band next offered up the synth-drenched arrangement of “Indian River” coupled with its usual “Welcome to Delta” jam. The peppy piano-led groove felt more energetic than its normal laid-back vibe, blasting to more incredible peaks as the energy in the crowd seemed to continue rising.

A big trend for the final two nights of the Cap run was pure ENERGY. The 1800-capacity venue was amped from the first note of Wednesday night’s show but the weekend crowd took it to another level.

A deceptive cool-down song in the Peter Anspach-penned “Honeybee” quickly elevated to more soaring guitar licks from Mitarotonda before Goose fired up the dance party of “Jeff Engborg.” Named for Anspach’s old Great Blue bandmate, the fifth Goose performance of this song is a personal favourite of mine due to what I call “Big Clav Energy.” The rhythm section of drummer Ben Atkind, percussionist Jeff Arevalo, and bassist Trevor Weekz locked in as Anspach and Mitarotonda shredded over peak after peak.

Taking a moment to breathe and reflect with the 75-show bustout of “It Burns Within,” the band jumped into a fun “Butter Rum” to close the set. While a concise and energy-filled 8-minute version could have done just fine in this slot, Goose opted to deliver possibly the finest version of the song played to date, stretching just past the 20-minute mark. Anspach’s Prophet and Nord synths got a serious workout in the latter half as Mitarotonda riffed on a theme similar to Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.”

The final set of the five-night run began with a lengthy “Arrow,” breaking its longest show gap in three years. Mitarotonda attacked the jam with the same animalistic ferocity he had been displaying all week, and while it stayed relatively within the song’s boundaries, it should NOT be overlooked. A calm and beautiful reading of ballad “A Western Sun” led to another dance party in “Into the Myst.” Atkind propelled the band into a steady jam as Anspach worked his Vintage Vibe electric piano through the segue into “White Lights.”

Looking at the setlist on paper, this relatively short song in the middle of the set may look innocent enough, but it is well worth a listen. One of the biggest peaks of the entire weekend took place as the incredibly positive energy of the band and crowd flowed. Anspach danced like a happy camper within his keyboard rig as all five members became pieces of the same improvisational brain and launched the Cap into orbit.

A patient build on iconic Goose song “Elmeg the Wise” brought the tenth and final set of the run to a close in fine fashion. Anspach took a moment before the encore to thank each and every member of the Goose crew as well as the venue staff for an unforgettable week before the band absolutely tore “The Empress of Organos” to shreds. Weekz got his final bass solo to cap of what was undoubtedly the week of the BASS.

Over the course of five nights, Goose played 64 songs – 60 of which were originals and three of those debuts. The band took new risks in improv, debuted new rigs and tones, a new light rig – the list goes on!

With an extensive spring tour beginning next week in Boston, their first proper “tour” since October, anticipation could not be higher for what is to come in the future!

Goose – Sunday, March 12

Set 1: Time to Flee, Indian River[1], Honeybee[2], Jeff Engborg, It Burns Within, Butter Rum

Set 2: Arrow[3], A Western Sun, Into The Myst[3] > White Lights, Elmeg The Wise

Encore: The Empress Of Organos

[1] 80s synth version. With Welcome to Delta jam.
[2] With Coach on rainstick.
[3] Unfinished.

Saturday, March 11

For night four of five at the Capitol Theatre, Goose delivered what some have called the best show of the run yet – two dense sets packed with energy, improvisation and incredible playing from all five members.

Opening up the show with an upbeat “Echo of a Rose,” guitarist Rick Mitarotonda quickly led the jam from an airy space into a grimy section propelled by drummer Ben Atkind’s persistent beat. Using that as a launchpad for a modulation into Bob Seger’s “Hollywood Nights,” the band and crowd alike blazed through the rocking cover with great aplomb.

Ripping through a thick “Bob Don” next, Mitarotonda and multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach locked in on the outro “With” jam as the crowd’s energy continued to climb higher through the band’s return to the ending of “Echo.” The twin parts of “Seekers on the Ridge” offered a bit of a breather before another incendiary Mitarotonda solo blew up the building in Part II.

“Mr. Action” was tapped ahead of a set-closing “Same Old Shenanigans,” a perfect call for the energy-focused first set. Anspach and Mitarotonda shined once again during their respective solos as the rhythm section locked in underneath them on the path to several mountainous peaks that ended the first frame.

Returning with “Hungersite” to open the second set, Goose wasted no time before diving directly into a heavy-hitting space that Mitarotonda peaked massively. Atkind and percussionist Jeff Arevalo’s insistent drumming helped push the blazing improv. Post-peak, bassist Trevor Weekz stepped out as the band led into a thick and grimy motif that has popped up numerous times throughout the Cap run.

“Silver Rising” offered a cool-down after the intensity of the “Hungersite” jam before the band debuted Anspach original “Feel It Now.” This catchy and danceable song is highlighted by a peppy groove and bright guitar lines from Mitarotonda – there is also tremendous jam potential that I am certain will come to fruition as the song gets played more.

Where else to go in the middle of a Saturday night second set than with “Arcadia”? Weekz once again absolutely brought the house down with a deep and funky bass solo before an aggressive theme developed. Picking up the pace and energy once again, Goose blasted the capacity crowd with peak after peak as they shredded through the ending of the song. A heartfelt and tender “726” closed out the second set.

Ripping into “Dripfield” for the encore was a perfect choice, getting the crowd moving in time with the pounding drums as the title track to the band’s most recent album rocked the Cap to close.

Goose – Saturday, March 11

Set 1: Echo Of A Rose[1] -> Hollywood Nights[2] > Bob Don[3] -> Echo Of A Rose, Seekers On The Ridge Pt. 1 > Seekers On The Ridge Pt. 2, Mr. Action, Same Old Shenanigans
Set 2: Hungersite, Silver Rising, Feel It Now[4], Arcadia, 726
Encore: Dripfield
[1] Fast version
[2] Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
[3] With
[4] FTP

Friday, March 10

For the third of five nights at the Capitol Theatre, Goose delivered two blazing sets that were lighter on the improv that the first two shows but had possibly the highest energy of the run so far.

Opening up the night with a funky “Animal,” the band jumped into a concise “Flodown” next where multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach threw in Prophet synth sounds as guitarist Rick Mitarotonda toyed with his delay pedals. Upbeat rocker “Everything Must Go” and Anspach tune “The Whales” continued the set before the energy really got taken up a few notches with “Turbulence & The Night Rays.”

The rocking Vasudo-penned song seems to reach new heights each time it gets played, and Mitarotonda’s emphatic solo had the packed Cap eager for more. Anspach took a second to introduce the next song, debut “Lead Up.” Displaying a rocking vibe similar to the Red Hot Chili Peppers at times, “Lead Up” retained that distinctive Goose song as well as showing off the band’s dual-guitar sound – the last two Goose original debuts with Anspach on guitar were “Butterflies” in June 2022 and “The Whales” in June 2020!

The momentum and energy of the first set came to a peak with crowd and band favourite “Thatch,” which featured its first extended improv and some mind-blowing work from drummer Ben Atkind and percussionist Jeff Arevalo, the latter of whom seemed to be at risk of breaking his cymbals from the sheer force of his hits.

Photo by Cory Schwartz

Returning from a lengthy setbreak, Anspach took a stroll into the crowd during the intro to “Creatures.” The dance party song morphed into a gorgeous bliss jam distinctly reminiscent of its counterpart from Legend Valley in 2022. Bassist Trevor Weekz really stepped out in this segment, while Atkind spun a beat that made the jam feel like the beginning of an “Empress of Organos” jam. Slowly returning to earth, Anspach led the band into “Red Bird” as lighting director Andrew Goedde bathed the stage in that colour for the duration of the song.

The bird took flight with a rocking jam led once again by the rhythm section – Atkind’s pounding toms and Weekz’s bursting envelope filter playing propelled the quintet to a series of big peaks ahead of a transition into Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.” Offering up the finest improvisation of the night, the classic cover tune quickly opened up into a thrashing groove as Mitarotonda took the reins with some serious fretboard fireworks. Building into some darker themes, Goose exploded into an amazing major-key section with strong “SOS” vibes before landing in tender ballad “Arise.”

Most known for its acoustic performances with offshoot group Orebolo, this gorgeous and heartfelt song translated exceptionally well to an electric setting for just the fifth time ever. Arevalo made an inside reference to a well-known acoustic performance with a reminder for the crowd to “zip it” before the song began (note: his instruction was followed by some, but not all). A blazing “Hot Tea” complete with filthy wah guitar from Mitarotonda, crunchy clav from Anspach, and a bass solo from Trevor closed out the set.

Goose welcomed comedian Jimmy Fallon to the stage for an encore of “Mustang Sally” last night that had the crowd eating up every moment of the fun shtick.

Goose – Friday, March 10

Set 1: Animal, Flodown, Everything Must Go, The Whales, Turbulence & The Night Rays, Lead Up^[1], Thatch
Set 2: Creatures, Red Bird, In Your Eyes^[2], Arise, Hot Tea
Encore: Mustang Sally^[3]

[1] FTP
[2] Peter Gabriel
[3] Wilson Pickett. With Jimmy Fallon on vocals

Thursday, March 9

Goose threw down another heater on Thursday night at The Capitol Theatre for the second of five shows at the historic venue. While nothing quite reached the improvisational heights of Wednesday’s show, the band but together two well-flowing and complete sets with fantastic moments throughout.

Beginning the night with a hot “Jive I”, guitarist Rick Mitarotonda and multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach took their usual spotlights on the song with energetic solos as the crowd got warmed up. A jamless “Atlas Dogs” followed before the quintet fired up Anspach tune “Elizabeth.” The first extended jamming of the night, while just barely cracking the 10-minute mark, saw the band get into some nice churning themes.

The slinky vibe of “California Magic” fit the vibe of the first set perfectly before a new double-time arrangement of “Borne” was tapped next. Part of this new take on the song is a much cleaner slide into the jam which the band took full advantage of, developing a spacey theme with reverb-drenched piano at the forefront. Bassist Trevor Weekz led a slow build as the band worked together in a very democratic fashion. Drummer Ben Atkind pounded away at his toms as the jam build to a solid peak.

Anspach stepped out again on the Vintage Vibe outro to “The Old Man’s Boat” before Mitarotonda led Goose into “Rockdale.” Getting into the grime immediately, Anspach’s low clavinet colouring and Weekz’ deep bass accentuated Mitarotonda’s tension-building guitar as the band built to several phenomenal and explosive peaks to close out the first set.

The second set began in fine fashion with a long “Tumble.” The jam began with its classic dual-guitar churn groove as Mitarotonda got the energy of the crowd up. After hitting a first peak, the band took the vibe down and Anspach hit the keyboards. Displaying his impressive interplay with Mitarotonda that we’ve been seeing this week, Goose dove deep into a quieter section within “Tumble” that gave percussionist Jeff Arevalo an opportunity to really step to the sonic forefront of the jam.

Reaching a progression reminiscent of “Love is a Battlefield,” Mitarotonda took back the reins of the improv and built back to a final peak and return to the song. The guitarist then fronted the quintet on the debut of original “Not Alone,” a tender ballad that was received extremely well by the crowd – it acted as the perfect breather between two big second-set jams.

“Rosewood Heart” was tapped next and saw Anspach dialing up percussive loops on his Prophet synthesizer as Goose took a very different route in the jam. Eschewing the normal Type I section, they opted for a funky and percussive groove that had the venue getting down for its duration. A powerful rendition of Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” came next before Goose ripped out “Madhuvan” to close the set.

Few songs elicit a crowd reaction on the level of this massive jam vehicle, and last night was no different. Beginning in a space not unlike its counterpart from Glens Falls this past November, Anspach laid down low tones on the Vintage Vibe while simultaneously creating feedback from his guitar, lending to the immediate dark and eerie tone of the jam. Patiently exploring every inch of this motif, Weekz dropped massive bombs as synthesizer loops and guitar arpeggios dominated the space. Gradually picking up steam, the improv took on a lighter tone as the band hit on their second “Loose Ends” tease of the week. Continuing the huge build, Mitarotonda led his bandmates into the ending of “Madhuvan” at full tilt, bringing an excellent set and show to a close. A brief encore of “Turned Clouds” sent the crowd home happy.

Goose – Thursday, March 9

Set 1: Jive I, Atlas Dogs, Elizabeth, California Magic, Borne^[1], The Old Man’s Boat, Rockdale
Set 2: Tumble^[2], Not Alone^[3], Rosewood, Heart > Sinnerman^[4], Madhuvan^[5]
Encore: Turned Clouds

[1] Double time feel
[2] With Pick Up The Pieces tease from Ric
[3] FTP
[4] Nina Simone
[5] With Loose Ends teases

Wednesday, March 8

For the first night of Goose’s Capitol Theatre five night run, starting the run with what they ended Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival with, Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue.” Check out video and more photos from Cory Schwartz below.

Set 1: Jam -> Electric Avenue^[1], All I Need^[2] > Dr. Darkness, Butterflies, Jive II, Earthling or Alien?^[3], So Ready
Set 2: Wysteria Lane > Doobie Song, Drive^[4], Yeti, Your Ocean
Encore: Pancakes

[1] Eddy Grant. Ending only, finishing the version from 3/3/23 Okeechobee
[2] Slow, melodic version
[3] With Jive II teases from Trevor
[4] With Loose Ends teases

Photos by Cory Schwartz

March 11, 2023
Zach Nugent’s Dead Set Announces Spring Thaw Tour with 6 Shows in New York

Guitarist Zach Nugent will bring his Dead Set on a ‘Spring Thaw’ tour with all six stops taking place in New York, from April 19th to April 29th. The tour will kick off at Garcia’s in Port Chester on April 19th and will conclude with a show at Cohoes Music Hall on April 29th, with stops in Syracuse, Rochester, Ithaca and Woodstock in between.

Zach Nugent, lead guitarist of the nationally acclaimed Grateful Dead tribute act will be joined by a talented ensemble of musicians to bring the magic of the Grateful Dead to audiences across New York. The band’s blend of faithful renditions of Grateful Dead classics, soulful improvisations, and authentic jams are guaranteed to captivate fans old and new.

The ‘Spring Thaw’ looks to be a highlight of the year for NY fans of the Grateful Dead and live music enthusiasts alike. Zach Nugent’s Dead Set has been praised for their electrifying live shows and their ability to transport audiences to the height of the Dead’s legendary performances.

If you’re a fan of the Grateful Dead, or just love live music played to the highest caliber, you won’t want to miss Zach Nugent’s Dead Set. Seeing Nugent in concert is an exhilarating and unforgettable experience that leaves fans feeling energized, inspired, and uplifted. From the moment he takes the stage, Nugent’s virtuosic guitar playing and deep connection to the music of the Grateful Dead captivates the audience and transports them to another realm.

During the concert, fans are fully immersed in the music, swept away by Nugent’s expert improvisations, soaring solos, and dynamic interplay with his bandmates. Whether he’s performing classic Dead tunes or original compositions, Nugent’s passion and mastery of the guitar shine through, creating a sense of communal joy and celebration among the crowd.

Tickets for all six shows are available now and can be purchased through the band’s website or at the venues.

Zach Nugent’s Dead Set Tour Dates

April 19th – Garcia’s, Port Chester, NY – Tickets:

April 20th – The Westcott Theater, Syracuse, NY – Tickets:

April 21st – Flour City Station, Rochester, NY – Tickets:

April 22nd – Deep Dive, Ithaca, NY – Tickets:

April 23rd – The Colony, Woodstock, NY – Tickets:

April 29th – Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes, NY – Tickets:

February 25, 2023
Brandi Carlile delivers tour de force solo performance at The Capitol Theatre

In the midst of intimate “Special Solo Performance” dates that kicked off in Portland, Maine the day before Valentine’s Day, Brandi Carlile performed back-to-back sold out shows this past week at The Capitol Theatre (affectionately known as “The Cap”) located in the center of downtown Port Chester. I was one of 1,800 lucky participants to attend Friday night’s show on February 17, to witness her multi-genre talents, including folk rock, alternative country and Americana, firsthand.

To say Carlile has been busy lately is an understatement. She played Madison Square Garden this past October, was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in December and just won her eighth and ninth Grammy Awards (out of 25 total nominations and seven from 2022 alone) for “Broken Horses” (Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song) at the 65^th award ceremony in Los Angeles earlier this month, a night on which she also executed a fierce version of said song.

At 6:30 pm sharp, doors to the historic venue constructed in 1926 opened to adoring Carlile fans that had been patiently waiting in a short line, but that could not wait any longer. However, with the show still nearly two hours away, most fans who had arrived early to the village known as the “Gateway to New England” were seen congregating at nearby restaurants. Not only to pass the time, but to escape the frigid temperatures that had dropped by more than 30 degrees from earlier the same afternoon, my wife and I opted for authentic Mexican cuisine right next door to The Cap, enjoying margaritas as Brandi Carlile tunes played over El Tio’s speakers.

Suddenly, as show time neared, throngs of patrons hurriedly began to file through the maze of security fencing outside of the main entrance and into the warm confines of the theatre’s lobby. Many fans headed straight for the merch table to purchase a t-shirt, hoodie or poster commemorating Carlile’s brief two-night residency, while others grabbed a drink before heading to their seat in the orchestra or upper balcony.

Running slightly behind schedule, the moment finally arrived as Carlile took the stage at 8:25 pm, from which she would not depart until more than two hours later. With more than two decades of singer-songwriter experience under her belt, the rural girl from Ravensdale, Washington was about to give her fans a career-spanning glimpse at her discography, performing at least one song from each of her seven studio albums. Sharply dressed as always, tonight in an arctic blue blazer and matching turtleneck with lime green slacks, Carlile “took it all in” for several moments as the crowd erupted before her.

Excitedly, Carlile addressed her adoring fans, “Yes! I knew the crowd was going to be like this! I did this solo tour to recover my artist’s self after the Grammys, which I will never stop being grateful for, or terrified by. But I knew that I was going to need these concerts so that I could come back into myself and come face to face with my lyrics and do something that really scares me, which this does.” Then, as guitar tech Claire Murphy handed Carlile a well-worn, vintage Gibson acoustic (one of four she would play in addition to two custom Collings), the festivities were officially underway.

The first of 20 offerings that Carlile bestowed upon the packed house was her very first song (“Follow”) from her very first self-titled release in 2005. Although the audience would be seated for majority of the show, they rose to their feet triumphantly at the conclusion of each and every song, beginning with this one. On an evening filled with deep cut tracks, the next song (the aforementioned “Broken Horses”) from her most recent studio album (2021’s In These Silent Days) would not be one of them. During the introduction to “Mama Werewolf,” another song from her seventh album, Carlile playfully addressed her two young daughters seated stage left in VIP boxes above. After the third song had ended, and it was now time to head back up the aisle with my camera to a standing room only perch at the rear of the house, I glanced at the beaming faces of fans as I strolled by. The next two songs presented by Carlile were “The Things I Regret” (The Firewatcher’s Daughter, 2015), and speaking of deep cuts, “I Will,” the seventh track from her third studio album (Give Up the Ghost) released in 2009.

Taking a seat at the piano for the first time of the night, which she taught herself to play (along with guitar) after dropping out of high school to pursue her dream of a career in music, Carlile introduced her next song by revealing “I don’t know any other way to do [“The Eye”] without the twins (songwriting brothers Phil and Tim Hanseroth who also reside in the band’s family as bass and guitar players, respectively) and a three-part harmony. Without them, the only thing that I can think to do, is to do it different.” During the course of the next twenty minutes, Carlile beautifully delivered the title track from 2007’s The Story and “The Mother” (By the Way, I Forgive You, 2018), sandwiched by the first of the night’s four covers, Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” “The Mother” followed, also taken from her sixth studio album released in 2018, before Carlile was joined by wife Catherine for a glorious coupling of fan favorites comprising “I Belong to You” and “You and Me on the Rock.”

Before commencing their final song together, Tracy Chapman’s “The Promise,” Carlile imparted a humorous tale about a recent time when she and Catherine performed the same song during a vow renewal at Ellen DeGeneres’ house (which really looks more like a castle): “Just when I thought the ceremony was at the lesbian tipping point, we were at a campfire a half an hour later with Melissa Etheridge playing to all of us. I was like what the hell, this is amazing! The sun was setting. We drank non-alcoholic beer. A perfect lesbian moment [Catherine adds]. And I was like, I know how we can top this. Right now, we can sing Tracy Chapman. So, we did. We’re going to repeat that moment for you right now.”

As the set rolled on, the crowd continued to display its deep appreciation for Brandy Carlile, vigorously clapping in unison during the chorus to “Raise Hell” (the lone tune performed from Bear Creek) and then cheering wildly for the night’s third cover, Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend.” What followed next was the ‘wipe the tears from your eyes’ moment of the show when Carlile moved to the edge of the stage apron to perform an off-microphone, six-minute version of “Cannonball” (The Story, 2007) – a song that was not played the night before – with every audience member remaining dead silent to ensure Carlile’s voice could be heard throughout the entire venue.

As if we had not already witnessed greatness, the final quintet of songs showcased Carlile’s unreal vocal chops as she took to the piano again for a string of recent hits consisting of “Letter to the Past,” “Right on Time,” “The Joke” (with Carlile back on guitar) and “Party of One.” And on a night where love filled the air, the final number (Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You”) of the epic show was a fitting nod to Carlile’s close friend and folk icon.

The final stop on Carlile’s intimate solo tour will be at the Durham Performing Arts Center in North Carolina this upcoming Wednesday, February 22. For those of you who missed her Port Chester shows, you will get another chance when she returns this summer touring in support of P!NK at Citi Field in Queens on August 3.

Brandi Carlile Setlist: Follow > Broken Horses > Mama Werewolf > The Things I Regret > I Will > The Eye > The Story > Mad World (Tears for Fears cover) > The Mother > I Belong to You > You and Me on the Rock > The Promise (Tracy Chapman cover) > Raise Hell > Call Your Girlfriend (Robyn cover) > Cannonball > Letter to the Past > Right on Time > The Joke > Party of One > A Case of You (Joni Mitchell cover)

February 21, 2023
A Residency at The Capitol Theatre with Bob Weir & Wolf Bros

Bob Weir & Wolf Bros took over The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester for a four-night residency, part of a 2023 winter tour. Joining Bob on stage: bassist Don Was, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, drummer Jay Lane, pedal steel guitarist Barry Sless with strings and horns supplied by The Wolfpack (Alex Kelly, Brian Switzer, Adam Theis, Mads Tolling and Sheldon Brown.)

The four nights presented a wide variety of music. Each having its own groove. Covers where distributted throughout the shows, including songs from Bob Dylan (When I Paint My Masterpiece, All Along the Watchtower), Johnny Cash (Big River), and The Beatles (Tomorrow Never Knows, Dear Prudence.)

The shows held over February 7- 11 were broken up into two night groupings with the middle night at The Capitol occupied by Long Island Medium Theresa Caputo. Whether she was booked to conjure up additional “Dead” spirits could not be confirmed. But the following Friday and Saturday shows where packed to the rafters.

Of course, a four-night stint like this has its fair share of Weir solo, Ratdog, and Grateful Dead tunes. If the stage was not filled enough, Rick Mitarotonda and Peter Anspach of Goose as well as Kenny Brooks, Dred Scott, and Sasha Dobson joined in to close out the final night.

The tour heads into March, including a stop in Atlanta for three nights with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Bob Weir & Wolf Bros – The Capitol Theater, February 7, 8, 10, 11 Setlists:

February 7
Set 1 – Cassidy, My Brother Esau, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Catfish John, Tennessee Jed, Black-Throated Wind, Lost Sailor, Saint of Circumstance
Set 2 – Mama Tried, China Cat Sunflower, I Know You Rider, He’s Gone, Going Down the Road Feelin’ Bad, I Need a Miracle, All Along the Watchtower, Stella Blue, Sugar Magnolia

February 8
Set 1 – Greatest Story Ever Told, Iko Iko, Only a River, Friend of the Devil, Althea, Come Together, Weather Report Suite, Let It Grow
Set 2 – Ramble On Rose, Truckin’, Looks Like Rain, Playing in the Band, Uncle John’s Band, Supplication, Morning Dew
Encore: Black Muddy River

February 10
Set 1 – The Music Never Stopped, Easy Answers, Loser, Big River, She Knows What I’m Thinkin’, Deal, Candyman, Bird Song
Set 2– Fever, Ashes and Glass, Don’t Let Go, Dark Star, Shakedown Street, The Wheel, Tomorrow Never Knows, Days Between, Not Fade Away
Encore: Ripple

February 11
Set 1 – Jack Straw, Minglewood Blues, She Belongs to Me, Brown-Eyed Women, Loose Lucy, Two Djinn, Corrina, New Speedway Boogie
Set 2 – Peggy-O, Me and My Uncle, Scarlet Begonias, Estimated Prophet, Franklin’s Tower, The Other One, Dear Prudence, Lady With a Fan, Terrapin Station, Terrapin Transit, At a Siding, Terrapin Flyer
Encore Brokedown Palace, One More Saturday Night

February 14, 2023
Garcia’s to Celebrate the Life of Music Legend Michael Winters with Tribute Concert

On April 16, Garcia’s in Port Chester will celebrate the life of music legend, Michael Winters with a tribute concert.

Winters, the former Operations & House Manager of The Capitol Theatre and a crucial figure of the New York live music scene, passed away 5 years ago on July 1, 2018. To commemorate his life and legacy, this tribute concert will be held on Sunday, April 16 at 4:20PM, on a day before what would have been his 57th birthday.

Friends and staff of The Capitol Theatre have organized the event to celebrate the life of Mike rather than his departure. Mike, who was often referred to as “the heart and soul of The Cap,” had an invaluable impact on the theater, where he is credited with helping to name the lobby bar Garcia’s, before retiring after five years. Before his time at The Capitol Theatre, Mike and his brother, Brad, were partners in Manny’s Car Wash, a renowned blues club in Manhattan.

Mike’s love for music began at the age of 12 when his brother and sister took him to see Frank Zappa on Halloween. His passion for music continued to be fueled by bands like the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band. The tribute concert, named “With the Gold of Sunshine” after his favorite Grateful Dead song, “Ripple,” will feature performances by local Grateful Dead-inspired bands Grateful BRO and Dead Meat. The proceeds from the event will be donated to Songcatchers, a charity dedicated to fostering the next generation of music fans by providing affordable music education.

Songcatchers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has provided accessible, affordable, and high-quality music education and experiences to children and families for over 40 years. Programs bring music into children’s lives, fostering a lifelong appreciation of the arts. Leadership development is a hallmark of all Songcatchers programs; youth serve as aides, instructors and counselors, and are mentored by professional musicians and music educators. The goal of “Reaching for Peace Through Music” is realized with the belief that all children deserve the chance to learn music and to see the beauty of each other through the arts.

“When Mike worked at the Cap, everyone was so kind, they were a tight knit crew and became the original Capitol Family. After his passing, they have continued to make me feel like part of the Cap Fam.” said his wife, Lara Winters. “It truly means the world to me that he had such a positive impact on the many he touched and that his memory will be honored with love in a meaningful way.”

Join friends, staff and family for an evening of music, friendship, and giving back to the music community as we celebrate the life of Michael Winters. The event will also feature a charity auction and raffle including a collection of music memorabilia. Friends are encouraged to bring a photograph of Mike for the memorial display board.

Tickets can be purchased online here.

February 9, 2023