JazzBuffalo has announced the 2024 Canterbury Woods Jazz Series, bringing three incredible concerts featuring award-winning jazz artists to the brand-new Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center.
JazzBuffalo is the d.b.a. and brand name for the Greater Buffalo Jazz Society, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to building jazz awareness and jazz appreciation in the WNY area. The organization promotes jazz and builds audience appreciation for jazz through jazz news, live performances, concerts, festivals, jazz series, event calendaring, ticketing, hosting internationally recognized jazz musicians, and jazz education.
On February 14, 2024, the 2024 Canterbury Woods Jazz Series presents A Cole Porter Valentines featuring Konrad Paszkudski and Pasquale Grasso. After receiving his jazz piano education in his native Australia, Konrad Paszkudski relocated to the U.S. where he embarked on extensive tours alongside jazz legends such as trumpeter James Morrison and the John Pizzarelli Quartet. Within just four years, he led over 1,000 performances. Konrad will be joined by rising star jazz vocalist, Olivia Chindamo, one of the most promising young jazz vocalists in the jazz scene, celebrating their love for Cole Porter and the Great American Songbook.
Kathy Kosins, an ASCAP Award-winning vocalist, is delighted to present her highly acclaimed project, “The Ladies of Cool,” at the Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center on Friday, March 22 at 7:30 PM. It is a contemporary homage to the iconic West Coast School of Cool, celebrating the timeless artistry of Anita O’Day, June Christy, Chris Connor, and Julie London. Kosins brings classic songs to life with her smoky vocals and clever arrangements, exuding glamour, sophistication, and a sense of cool. Kosins’ album of the same name received accolades from international media outlets such as the Huffington Post and All About Jazz.
Finally, the 2024 Canterbury Woods Jazz Series wraps up on April 21, 2024, with “El arte Del Bolero” featuring Miquel Zenón and Luis Podermo. Renowned jazz artist and 11-time GRAMMY Nominee Miguel Zenón, a recipient of prestigious Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellowships, will present his two albums dedicated to the cherished Latin American art form of bolero. He collaborates with and will appear with the virtuoso Venezuelan pianist, composer, arranger, and educator, Luis Perdomo, a GRAMMY Nominated jazz artist based in New York, and a longtime partner in their musical endeavor.
EDM artist DMVU and Toadface have teamed up to bring an innovative tour that had a special appearance at Buffalo Iron Works on December 16. The two producers performed all night at Buffalo Ironworks on the It’s Dangerous To Go Alone tour that included a surprise guest appearance for fans.
DMVU, Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Local talent LURK3R and Thromb started off the night with their infused dubstep. They brought downtempo bass music to Ironworks while still supplying the audience with heavy mixes.
Toadface later took on the stage and immediately hit fans with his swampy bass lines. He performed various songs off of his EPs including “Seratonin Machinegun” and “Stone Monkey.” His growth over the past few years has allowed him to develop more into his sound.
Toadface, Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Toadface messes with ambient mystical soundscapes that makes his production style unique. His fun toad visuals play into this as well giving a sense of funk into traditional dubstep. His ability to fuse in elements of trap music make these amphibious grooves have their own twist.
After, Denver based artist DMVU hit the stage and elevated even more on blending rap with dubstep. His love for hip-hop and rap shows through his innovative mixes. DMVU’s intro was full of lo-fi tunes and heavy sax, the vibes brought effortlessly to the crowd.
DMVU, Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
DMVU then began mixing his love of both old school and new school rap. There is something about hearing your favorite rappers over a chill bass beat that does something for the soul. He also mixed in some of his well-known songs into his set such as “Killa Sound.”
DMVU, Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
It’s Dangerous To Go Alone
The late night set is where these DJs really took it to the next level by performing together. In honor of their joint EP It’s Dangerous To Go Alone, both DMVU and Toadface joined on stage for an epic set. They played countless songs including, “Uncut Diamonds,” and “Jungle Dub.”
DMVU, Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Their separate sounds are unique enough but when they come together it provides groovy dubs that are addicting to listen to. They somehow raised the bar even further when they brought out special guest Distinct Motive who had the crowd cheering with excitement when he played his hit “Shake Junt.” The rest of the night consisted of the DJs switching off and on from the decks.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
This night at Ironworks was one for the books. And more EDM nights are to come with Churma going to Luna Lounge December 29 and Rusko will be performing a NYE show at Town Ballroom. Get your tickets here.
Western New York rock/jam band Tsavo Highway has released their latest single, “Find a Way,” the first with a solidified lineup.
Formed just over a year ago and led by the soulful vocals of Emily Scripps alongside guitarists Christian Dobosiewicz and Peter Kern and rhythm section of bassist Brian Calisto and drummer Dan Keegan.
“Find a Way” was recorded by Producer Zach Tilton at his home studio. The nearly 6 minute long track is at first poppy with a mid-90s indie rock feel. Grooves build and flow into the next, while vocals from Scripps weave fluidly alongside the tempo.
When we brought the tune to the band it clicked immediately. Everyone had an idea of how to make the song come to life. Christian with his twang in the way he plays the guitar’s lead lick in the chorus, Peter with his added trills and guitarmony in his solo, Brian with the most epic leading bass line, and Dan with his perfectly timed drum fills. Once everyone brought their individual takes and magic to the song, it came together as this wonderful, authentic, catchy tune.
Emily Scripps, Tsavo Highway
Written by Scipps and Dobosiewicz, Emily shares that she wanted the song to have a feel of being at a train station – which explains the child’s train whistle making an appearance at the right times. The station here is symbolic to the middle ground in the journey of life.
“You’re waiting at this middle ground for a sign, a feeling, a glimpse (a train) of something telling you you’re on the right track,” said Scripps. “You can feel it, hear it, you know it’s near, you hope it’s near, you’re calling out for it because it’s just within your grasp. So with this in mind I wanted the overall tone/sound of the song to reflect happiness but not in a sense of comfortability, but more a sense of happiness in being hopeful.”
From playing intimate venues to larger stages, Tsavo Highway has a genuine passion for music that shines through every note they play, leaving audiences captivated by their raw talent and heartfelt performances.
Learn more about Tsavo Highway and stay up to date with showing in 2024 here.
The Los Angeles-based company SaveLive has announced it is opening a new concert venue in Buffalo titled Electric City, at the former site of the Tralf Music Hall. Many are pleased with the prospect of a new venue, but some are worrisome about an outsider corporation coming in and taking over this historic venue.
The Tralf Music Hall opened in 1982 at 622 Main St, next to Shea’s Performing Arts Center, closing for good in 2022. The new Electric City venue, opening February 23, has a capacity of 750, with a few bars to the right and left when you walk in, and a stage in the back. It will also include a mezzanine level for an added VIP experience. Completely reimagining the old venue, it will include state-of-the-art equipment and is a nod to Buffalo’s role in the early use of hydroelectricity.
“There is really a demand for more shows, more music,” Marketing Manager Michele Riggi told WIVB. “So, we’re really looking forward to that. In our opinion, a rising tide raises all ships. So, if we can bring more venues to the area, bring more opportunity for artists to play, more tours will stop here.”
On the other hand, Buffalo music journalist Jeff Miers feels that bringing new venues to the equation might not be a good thing.
The Buffalo music scene is already saturated with venues that each have their own unique offering, at an independent level. These venues include The Town Ballroom, just down the street from Electric City, offering a rich diet of EDM, indie and alternative, hip-hop, and more, Rec Room with indie-focused acts, Mohawk Place with metal and rock, Iron Works with jam bands and up-and-comers, and more. The question Miers asks in his article is “What vacant niche is SaveLive hoping to fill with its new venture?”
SaveLive was co-founded by Marc Geiger, former global leader of the William Morris Endeavor Music Division from 2003 until 2020, and co-founder of Lollapalooza. The company began by seeking to acquire 51% ownership of financially hard-pressed independent music venues after the pandemic began. This Buffalo venture is the first venue the company has redone from the ground up.
While much of the local press is overall speaking positively about the buyout, Miers’ article focuses on how the independent venues that did not compete with one another now have this layer of competition, having to go against a corporate venue. Some pros of this venue are that more acts that may not be seen at the other venues in Buffalo may be booked, bringing more visitors to the area.
Whichever box you fall into, this new venue will arrive in February with new music and a revamped venue. Hopefully, Electric City doesn’t push out other iconic venues in the area and brings in more exciting acts to the area.
Different opening concerts at Electric City have been announced, including DJ James Kennedy on Feb. 23, Meshell Ndegeocello on March 12, Hippie Sabotage on April 17, Living Colour on May 16, and Echo & the Bunnymen on May 22. Also announced were Sammy Rae and the Friends on March 10, Kitchen Dwellers on April 3, Yachtley Crew on April 11, Larry Fleet on April 13, Dying Fetus on May 5, the Chats on May 7, and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes on May 18.
For more information about Electric City Buffalo and to purchase tickets to upcoming shows, visit here.
Dubstep DJ Mersiv stopped in Buffalo on Dec. 9 for the final stretch on his latest tour. The Town Ballroom was ready for their reunion with Mersiv since his last appearance there one year ago, and he did not disappoint.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
The openers were stacked with heavy bass and passion. Local artist Daggz kicked off the night with his experimental bass and was followed up by Heyz. Australian artist SIPPY had the crowd wooed with her heavy-hitting beats.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Mersiv finally took over the stage with a prompt that read, “Outside the Prescribed or Conventional Boundaries or Limits. Enjoy Your Journey Fellow Travelers.” And just like that the young producer took his audience on a journey through finding presence in sound, so much so that even the bass blew out the speakers for five minutes.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
He performed many tracks off of his 2023 album Out of Bounds including “I Like It When You Move” and “Top Floor.” He brings a meditative force through his live show. His use of fun visuals and insane energy make the positive atmosphere super contagious.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
The Mersiv Sound Project is the brainchild of Anderson Benoit Gallegos who has sought to spread healing energy through his sound, and fans would argue he does just that. His dark and loud sound pays homage to the duality of life. Both the highs and lows of what makes every human…human. It’s through these struggles that Gallegos shares we can rise from but never as ways to define us.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
The growing artist brings a particular energy into EDM through mysterious psychedelia. Mersiv played fun mixes throughout his set and performed his popular song with Wreckno, “Bounce.” Nothing quite brought the heat though until he played “Beautiful & Filthy.” The fans were seen head-banging throughout Buffalo’s Town Ballroom.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
If you missed out on this rad EDM night don’t worry we have a lot more in store to finish off the end of the year. DMVU and Toadface perform at Ironworks on December 16., and a special 360 show from Rusko is on December 31 that you do not want to miss! Get your tickets here.
Rodrigo y Gabriela has announced a new run of dates in 2024, taking their thrilling live shows to cities in America that didn’t get a chance to see them on the first run. The tour will stop in Ithaca, Kingston, Tarrytown, and Buffalo.
Rodrigo y Gabriela recently kicked off the 49th season of the venerable television music series, Austin City Limits, as the premiere performers on episode one. The band was joined by an ensemble of over 30 musicians from the esteemed Austin Symphony Orchestra in an exhilarating hour; the unprecedented performance marked the first time ACL has collaborated with the world-class orchestra, one of Austin’s leading arts institutions.
In September, the duo shared their official music video for “In Between Thoughts…A New World,” featuring exclusive footage filmed earlier this summer on their North American tour. “In Between Thoughts…A New World” is the title track to Rodrigo y Gabriela’s latest album, In Between Thoughts…A New World, available now via ATO Records.
“The perfect demonstration of their abilities…Rodrigo y Gabriela create a surging sonic display of cinematic goodness, using their guitars to represent rising and falling action. Each song feels like a mini-movie, containing stirring riffs, mesmeric backing strumming, and glorious, soaring strings that add extra tension to every piece…The duo harness the impressive ability to tell intricate stories without saying a word, and these songs are sure to conjure up rich images in listeners’ minds.”
FarOut Magazine
Rodrigo y Gabriela’s eagerly awaited follow-up to 2019’s GRAMMY® Award-winning Mettavolution and first full-length collection in four years, In Between Thoughts…A New World was self-produced by Rodrigo y Gabriela at their studio in Ixtapa, Mexico, the album includes such singles as “The Eye That Catches The Dream,” “Egoland,” “True Nature,” and “Descending To Nowhere.”
A #1 Most Added hit at Non-Com Radio outlets nationwide, “Descending To Nowhere” had its world premiere with an in-depth and illuminating “Origins” feature via Consequence and was quickly named by Paste as one of “The 10 Best Songs of February 2023,” hailing it as “an irresistible groove that builds and ebbs as it showcases delicious electric licks and the promised orchestral swells.”
Rodrigo y Gabriela marked the arrival of In Between Thoughts…A New World with a very special live session for Seattle’s KEXP as well as electrifying live performances of “Descending To Nowhere” and “Egoland” on BBC Two’s venerable Later… with Jools Holland. In addition, “Descending To Nowhere | A Take Away Show,” a live performance video filmed earlier this year at an empty Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris, is streaming now exclusively via La Blogothèque.
RODRIGO Y GABRIELA’S IN BETWEEN THOUGHTS…A NEW WORLD 2024
APRIL
17- Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre
18 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live
19 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Parker Playhouse
21 – Charlotte, NC – Knight Theater
23 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall
25 – Tysons, VA – Capitol One Hall
26 – Charlottesville, VA – The Paramount Theater
27 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live!
28 – Princeton, NJ – McCarter Theatre Center
30 – Ithaca, NY – State Theater of Ithaca
MAY
1 – Kingston, NY – Ulster PAC
2 – Burlington, VT – Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
4 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
5 – Nashua, NH – Nashua Center for the Arts
7 – Beverly, MA – The Cabot
8 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall
9 – Tarrytown, NY – Tarrytown Music Hall
11 – Harrisburg, PA – Harrisburg University at XL Live
12 – Buffalo, NY – Asbury Hall at Babeville
14 – Cleveland, OH – TempleLive at Cleveland Masonic
15 – Columbus, OH – The Athenaeum Theatre
16 – Indianapolis, IN – The Egyptian Room
18 – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe
For more information on Rodrigo y Gabriela, visit their website.
Longtime Lilac Festival promoter Jeff Springut has announced he has withdrawn from producing the event, something he has done since 2013.
Lilac Festival (News 8 WROC photo/Matt Driffill).
The Lilac Festival brings in over 500,000 people a year from across Western and Upstate NY, the tri-state area, and Canada to Highland Park to see great music and look at the beautiful lilacs that grow in the park, as well as eat and drink amazing food.
Organizer of the spring festival for more than a decade, Springut said to the Rochester Beacon that his event-production company, the Springut Group Inc., still plans to produce Party in the Park and other events, but is done with the Lilac Festival. He cited no specific reasons for deciding to withdraw.
“I’ve done the Lilac Festival for 12 years. We’ve had a great run, but now it’s time to move on,” Springut said to the organization. County officials confirmed that this news will not affect the 2024 Lilac Festival. “We are currently working with two seasoned professionals with long histories with the festival. We are in good hands moving forward in coordination with the City of Rochester and Lilac Festival Inc.,” said Gary Walker, a spokesperson with Monroe County, as reported by Rochester First.
In 2019, Springut withdrew as the promoter of the Park Avenue Festival, which has since not been able to be revived due to it being called off during the pandemic and lack of promoters willing to take it on. County Legislator Rachel Barnhart spoke with Rochester Baron, saying “I don’t believe the county will let the Lilac Festival fail.” She says one of the reasons the Park Avenue Festival was unable to continue was because Springut did not share his plans and methods.
Springut says he has not passed on plans, contracts with vendors or performers, or other information about the Lilac Festival to the county. Nevertheless, he maintains, the county has “a good handle on it. I’m sure it will be fine. The lilacs will bloom.”
A spokesperson for the county says moving forward, they’ll be working with two seasoned professionals with long histories in the festival, and are in good hands to coordinate.
Grammy and Juno-award winning artist Sarah McLachlan announces The Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th Anniversary Tour, live across North America next summer with special guest Feist.
The 30-date run includes a stop at Artpark Mainstage Theater in Lewiston, as well as a stop at Radio City Music Hall.
Sarah McLachlan is one of the most celebrated singer songwriters in entertainment with over 40 million albums sold worldwide. She has received three Grammy Awards and twelve Juno Awards over her career and has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
In addition to her personal artistic efforts, she founded the Lilith Fair tour, which showcased female musicians and brought over two million people together during its three-year run. Lilith Fair raised over $7 million for local and national charities and was the most successful all-female music event, launching the careers of numerous performers.
Following Lilith Fair, Sarah was awarded the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Visionary Award for furthering the careers of women in music. In 2002, she founded the non-profit Sarah McLachlan School of Music which provides high quality music education and mentorship free to children and youth facing various barriers to access.
Feist, special guest touring with Sarah, is an 11-time Juno Award-winning artist and has a Grammy-nominated album Multitudes. She sets her observation on the countless ways we seek out or deliberately hide from the truth: searching the natural world for portents and good omens, pulling tarot cards and masking our true emotions to spare our loved ones from pain. From a lyrical honesty that’s as confronting as it is unguarded, Feist writes of “A crucible of apex events that brought life to a new temperature.” and of “A new dimension of self awareness that time and experience seemed to require.”
Her sixth full-length and first release since 2017’s critically lauded Pleasure, Multitudes took shape soon after the birth of her daughter and sudden death of her father, a back-to-back convergence of life-altering events that left the Canadian singer/songwriter with “Nothing performative in me anymore.” As she cleansed her songwriting of any tendency to obscure unwanted truths, Feist slowly made her way toward a batch of songs rooted in a raw and potent realism which is touched with otherworldly beauty.
At the completion of the developmental run of residencies and in turning to the task of creating the album in a bespoke residential studio in the California Redwoods, Feist produced alongside her frequent co-producers Mocky and Robbie Lackritz, with an ensemble including Todd Dahlhoff, Amir Yaghmai, Shahzad Ismaily (Lou Reed, Tom Waits) and Gabe Noel (Kendrick Lamar, Kamasi Washington) with guest appearances by Blake Mills (Bob Dylan, Perfume Genius) and longtime collaborator Chilly Gonzales.
A supreme setting for her enchanting voice and all its manifestations, Multitudes unfolds with a near-symphonic grandeur despite its moments of absolute starkness, lending an endlessly mesmeric quality to Feist’s meditations on mortality and connection and the frenetic state of the human condition.
“I think it’s interesting as an artist or as a human for that matter, to be able to go back and look at a postcard of a time in your life and reflect on it…I think this tour is going to be a real walk down memory lane for me, and I’m hoping that my audience, many of whom have been with me for 30 years, will also be able to go back in time with me.”
Sarah McLachlan
The summer tour celebrates McLachlan’s highly acclaimed third studio album, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, which first released October 22, 1993 via Le Studio. The album quickly topped the charts in Canada and went certified platinum within a few weeks, selling over 3 million copies worldwide to date. Hit singles include “Possession,” “Hold On,” “Ice Cream,” and “Good Enough,” among others.
The 30th anniversary tour will see McLachlan playing the beloved album in its entirety along with some of her most celebrated songs in iconic venues across North America, including the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA, Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, Radio City Music Hall and many more.
THE FUMBLING TOWARDS ECSTASY 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR 2024 TOUR DATES:
Sat May 25 – Seattle, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery +
Sun May 26 – Seattle, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery +
Tue May 28 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater +
Thu May 30 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre *+
Fri May 31 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl +
Sat Jun 01– Palm Springs, CA – Acrisure Arena at Greater Palm Springs +
Sun Jun 02 – San Diego, CA – The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park +
Tue Jun 04 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre +
Thu Jun 06 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre +
Fri Jun 07 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
Sun Jun 09 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre +
Mon Jun 10 – Maryland Heights, MO – Saint Louis Music Park +
Tue Jun 11 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island +
Thu Jun 13 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill +
Fri Jun 14 – Cincinnati, OH – PNC Pavilion +
Sun Jun 16 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park +
Tue Jun 18 – Lewiston, NY – Artpark Mainstage Theater +
Wed Jun 19 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage ^
Thu Jun 20 – Laval, QC – Place Bell +
Sat Jun 22 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion +
Sun Jun 23 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater +
Mon Jun 24 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall +
Wed Jun 26 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann +
Thu Jun 27 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion +
Sat Jun 29 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater +
Sun Jun 30 – Atlanta, GA – Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park +
Tue Jul 02 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP +
Wed Jul 03 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory +
Fri Jul 05 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater +
Sat Jul 06 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre +
*Non-Live Nation Date
+ With Feist
^ With Allison Russell
Tickets will be available starting with Artist and Citi presales (details below) beginning on Tuesday, December 12. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on-sale beginning on Friday, December 15 at 12 PM here.
The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but may include premium tickets, access to the pre-show soundcheck, autographed item, specially designed merch and more. For more information, click here.
$1 per ticket will be donated to the non-profit Sarah McLachlan School of Music. The school provides music instruction at no cost to children and youth facing barriers to access.
2023 has been a busy year for Mikaela Davis and Southern Star. It all started in January with two three-show residencies in Rochester and Woodstock that had the band playing one set of originals and one set of themed Grateful Dead material. In the band’s home base of Rochester, the three shows sold out in advance at the living-room-intimate Abilene. The band then took the show’s concept on the road, hitting venues along the eastern seaboard and even more multi-show residencies across upstate New York. They would continue to tour hard throughout the year as headliners, openers, and a part various festival lineups. They also released their first album as a band late in the summer.
They closed out the year with a short run of shows with their old friends Maybird, culminating where the year, and the band began, back in Rochester. This time at the brand new venue, Essex, which is younger than even their new album. The space holds roughly ten times what Abilene can, and was nearly full, so the hard work paid off with a bigger fanbase. Davis declared it the biggest headlining show they’ve ever played, and the exchange of energy from the crowd to the stage and back was palpable.
A Brian Blatt liquid light show bathed the stage in slow oozing organic forms throughout the night. From the get go, it matched and complimented the music perfectly. The band was in no rush with a spacey intro to the show opening “Cinderella.” The ensuing “In My Groove” likewise got going with spacey looping. “Get Gone” also got front-loaded with a short jam, this one groovier, almost Dead-like. Post-verses, it showcased one of the bands many strengths as Davis’ harp led the way, interweaving brilliantly with Cian McCarthy and Kurt Johnson’s guitars and Shane McCarthy’s bass.
Languid and lovely, “The Pearl,” featured a slowly unfolding gorgeous improvisation that had all five members contributing an interlocking piece of the whole. A rock band led by a harp is unique in-and-of-itself, but add in a pedal steel and a sax-playing guitarist, and a penchant for turning pretty things into down and dirty jams, and Southern Star is a one-of-a-kind marvel. Even when they lean into familiar influences, they’re approached from a new-to-the-world angle. No one is doing this, sounding like that.
“Leave It Alone” let loose with this uniqueness. A lengthy guitar choogle dissolved into spacey noodling. Davis grabbed the reins and the band slowly crystallized around her flourishing harp. Cian McCarthy switched to his sax and the music took a turn into avant-garde jazz, reaching into searing cosmic domains. When McCarthy got back on his guitar, the jazz tenor remained, advancing to a 70’s style fusion for a short spurt. His brother pounded a repetitive theme into submission and eventually the rest of the band followed as they deftly drifted into “Promise.” The extraordinary sequence highlighted the growth a year on the road as provided.
Later, “Don’t Stop Now,” provided more groundwork from which they could showcase their multi-faceted approach. Davis answered the age-old question, “Can a harp choogle?”, with a big jam out of the gates, which ceded to guitar and then Johnson’s electric lap steel and eventually back to McCarthy on sax. They went deep into a sparse and chunky space which would slip into the psychedelic “Pure Divine Love.”
The show closed out with “Other Lover,” with the opening band Maybird out in full, each on a different piece of percussion, from the traditional congas to the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink variety (literally) like a metal colander. Maybird, another Rochester band, appropriately joined Mikaela Davis on her first tour. But more than that, Kurt Johnson was an original member of Maybird and Shane McCarthy is frequently playing bass for them. Davis and Josh Netsky frequently collaborated in various projects before Maybird or Southern Star were even conceived. So it was an appropriate end-of-the-year hometown billing for sure.
The ragtag group of percussionists would be back for the encore, along with Overhand Sam on guitar as the band ripped a celebratory version of “After Midnight” played just before 11pm. And now we wait to see what 2024 has in store for Mikaela Davis and Southern Star. Of course we know it will start with a co-headlining tour with Circles Around the Sun, so check that out if they’re heading your way.
Maybird opened with a solid 45 minutes overview of their strengths, including some of their oldest material and some of their newest. “Open Your Eyes” appropriately opened up into a quality psychedelic workout, with guitarist Overhand Sam and keyboardist Sam Hirsch combining into a fuzzed-up mash.
Shane McCarthy was pulling double-duty, holding down the bass for both bands, wearing the appropriate band tee for each set. Brother Cian and Kurt Johnson joined in on the fun during the band’s namesake “Maybird.” With Johnson returning to his former band, and McCarthy on sax, the band was truly at full power. The denser their sound gets the better, and that played out perfectly during the slow ferociousness of “Maybird.” The pair stayed on board for the following “Gonna Lose Your Mind,” and Johnson remained for the rest of the set. He provided some just-like-the-old-days moments during “Turning Into Water” and “Call You Mine.”
It was a great night to celebrate Rochester music, past and future, at Essex with Maybird and Mikaela Davis and Southern Star.
Setlists
Mikaela Davis and Southern Star: Cinderella, In My Groove, Home in the Country, Get Gone, The Pearl, Far From You, Leave It Alone, Promise, Don’t Stop Now, Pure Divine Love, Other Lover*
Encore: After Midnight** * with Maybird on various percussion ** with Sam Snyder on guitar, Maybird on percussion
Maybird: Keep In Line, Don’t Keep Me Around, Open Your Eyes, Lost In Wonderland, Maybird*, Gonna Lose Your Mind*, Turning Into Water**, Call You Mine*** * with Cian McCarthy on sax, Kurt Johnson on pedal steel/lap steel ** with Kurt Johnson on guitar *** with Kurt Johnson on lap steel
Benny The Butcher continues to ramp things up in anticipation of his Def Jam debut, Everybody Can’t Go. His latest drop, the thumping new single “One Foot In,” features frequent collaborator Stove God Cooks and sees Benny The Butcher continue his evolution into the mainstream.
Accompanied by a scintillating music video, Benny The Butcher and Stove God exchange bars on life in the streets. Meanwhile, the hook illustrates this duality as Benny examines a life with one foot in the streets and one in the rap game. In like manner, the music video illustrates the parallels between life and the streets and life as a successful rapper. Coupled with more digestible production, the uptempo street anthem offers to fill the void of authentic street records that littered hip hop of yesteryear. However, despite the uptick in production budget, the Buffalo native has maintained his raw and descriptive style, with lyrics full of vivid imagery.
And this one for the hustlers I was handing ounces. Now look at God, I wrote this in my Grammy outfit.
– Benny The Butcher
After all, “One Foot In” follows the release of Benny’s previous single, “Big Dog,” featuring Lil Wayne, who is no stranger to hard-hitting, lyrical bangers. Correspondingly, the record has already amassed 3.2 million Spotify streams and counting, with the music video tracking an additional 2.5 million views. With Everybody Can’t Go slated for a January 26 release, Benny continues to build anticipation for what could be a trajectory defining-album.
