NYS Music 2023

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  • Adam Sandler, Jon Stewart and Many More Return to Night of Too Many Stars at the Beacon Theatre – A Live Comedy Event Benefiting Autism Programs

    NEXT for AUTISM, the leading nonprofit dedicated to building national programs that enhance the lives of autistic adults, is excited to announce the return of its beloved live comedy event, Night of Too Many Stars. The comedy concert and live auction are set to captivate the audience on Monday, December 11 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.

    This year’s lineup promises an evening filled with laughter and entertainment, featuring talented performers such as Rachel Bloom, Stephen Colbert, Ron Funches, James Austin Johnson, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Amy Schumer, Jon Stewart, the cast of How to Dance in Ohio, and many more exciting names yet to be revealed. This event provides an ideal opportunity for both businesses and individuals to come together, celebrate the holiday season, and make a positive impact. Group sponsorships and ticket options are available for those eager to participate in this worthy cause.

    Night of Too Many Stars was conceived by the accomplished SNL and Conan O’Brien writer/producer Robert Smigel and his wife Michelle Smigel. Their personal journey with their autistic son, Daniel, led to the creation of this event. Over the past two decades, their extended comedy family has rallied behind the cause, raising over 30 million dollars to support programs that enrich the lives of autistic individuals. These programs focus on critical areas like education, home life, employment, social interaction, health, and overall well-being. Past event luminaries include the likes of Steve Carell, George Clooney, Billy Crystal, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, John Oliver, Katy Perry, Amy Poehler, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, and Ben Stiller.

    With the prevalence of autism in children now at 1 in 36, and over 5.4 million autistic adults in the United States, the mission of NEXT for AUTISM is ever more critical. Their vision is to ensure every individual, regardless of their neurodiversity, has the opportunity to lead a fulfilling and productive life. To achieve this vision, NEXT leverages the insights of both neurodiverse and neurotypical stakeholders within their team and broader network. Over time, they have funded more than 350 projects at 145 organizations across the United States, making a positive impact on the lives of over 100,000 autistic individuals.

    The event committee comprises individuals deeply committed to the cause, including Michal Shtender and Michael Auerbach, Tanja and James Dixon, Dee and Tommy Hilfiger, Dr. Jen Clark and Andy Korbak, Bellanca Smigel Rutter and Mitch Rutter, Jackie and Adam Sandler, Rena and David Schwartzbaum, Laura and Harry Slatkin, Lucia Smigel, Michelle and Robert Smigel, Tracey and Jon Stewart, and Christopher “CJ” Wallace (as of October 15, 2023).

    Tickets for this extraordinary event start at $134.55 and will be available to the general public starting at 11am ET on Friday, October 27. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com and will also be available for in-person purchase starting on Saturday, October 28 at the Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and Beacon Theatre box offices.

    NEXT for AUTISM is the leading nonprofit dedicated to transforming the national landscape of services for people with autism. In its 20th anniversary year, NEXT remains steadfast in its mission to revolutionize how individuals with autism thrive throughout their adult lives. This mission is accomplished through strategic partnerships with a wide range of autistic and neurotypical stakeholders, as well as national and local organizations. NEXT’s commitment is to develop national programs that enhance the lives of autistic adults, including initiatives like NEXT for DSP (Direct Support Professional) professional development training, NEXT for AUTISM FELLOWS scholarship initiative, and NEXT CONNECTS, a co-mentorship program aimed at fostering inclusion in the workplace.

  • House of Saturn Can Be Heard in Albany and Troy This Fall

    House of Saturn, a band of three friends from Troy, will perform in Albany and Troy this fall, showing off their musical talent and eclectic music tastes. The trio define themselves as a refreshing mix of folk, punk rock, and alternative. If you’ve been feeling like you need something more to add to your playlist – something new – then House of Saturn might be just what you’re looking for.

    House of Saturn – Jess Bowen (guitar, violin, vocals, synths), Brian Brancato (drums, vocals, guitar) and Malcom Kane (bass, trombone) – met in college during their studies at the Crane School of Music, and soon afterwards relocated to the Capital Region. After several years of late night studio jams, House of Saturn was born. The group has taken on a unique sound, performing original music from a wide variety of genres, but rooted in indie rock.

    House of Saturn’s musical catalog centers around the songwriting of Bowen and Brancato, with a handful of covers sprinkled in from various styles and genres. Bowen’s songwriting features colorful chord progressions often with an emphasis on the violin, strings, and rich vocal layering. Brancato writes from the perspective of a folk-influenced punk rocker with a fascination with compound and frequently changing time signatures. Audience members have described the band’s gigs as having “a 90s-esque jangly alternative rock vibe.” Between the contrast in songwriting styles and the group’s shared eclectic tastes in music, every House of Saturn show brings the audience a unique set of songs that everyone in the band is truly excited to share.

    What makes HoS different to me is that we’re not afraid to branch out. We all have such varied influences that inspire us which you can really hear in music from our two song writers (Brian v. Jess). You hear elements of bands/artists like That Dog, Bowie, Phish, and on the other side, there’s Green Day, Foo Fighters, and Beirut. It’s just so fun and freeing to be able to explore whatever we fancy that day and I think the audience can feel that and enjoys going for that ride.

    Malcom Kane

    Their latest single to date, “Waster” opens up with an electronic-feel, introducing the exciting percussion that mark many pop-style songs.

    While long intros of songs can get boring for some, this intro is captivating and you can find it easy to sink into the music and enjoy it. Brancato’s guitar solo has a relaxing 70s-feel to it which starts just before the lyrics begin. Jess Bowen’s light, calming lead vocals add to the overall feeling of being transported back to the 70s, complemented by the angelic backup vocals.

    The ending is surprising yet fitting, with the introduction of what sounds like a horn solo that ties the piece together.

    Processed with Rookie Cam

    On top of the musicality of the single, you have to appreciate the lyricism of the song. So many songs today are about how we feel like we’re running out of time, how we won’t have enough time, and we’re getting lost because of it. This song does the opposite: it compels us to enjoy that feeling of losing time, but not in a negative way: just letting yourself be a human and sort of…float.

    “I love to waste my time // with all of the weight of the wise // keep on the right path darling.” This section of the song speaks to everyone– sometimes it’s nice to just do nothing, because there’s still beauty in doing nothing. While we may know that we should be doing something– “the weight of the wise”– we also know that we can take a little time for ourselves to stay on the right path.

    We, as a society, are obsessed with a “grind” culture, and this song is perfectly combatting it.

    House of Saturn will perform on October 27 in Albany at WCDB’s Multi-Genre Night. There will be music from 7pm to 1am, and they will be performing from 9:30-10:30pm. They will also be at the Troy Speakeasy with Brooklyn band Waterfall Strainer on Monday, November 6.

    Follow House of Saturn on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or visit their website.

    Listen to them via their Spotify or Bandcamp.

  • Dmitry Wild Drops Newest Track, “Rock N Roll Is My Business”

    Dmitry Wild, a New York-based rock artist, released his newest track, “Rock N Roll Is My Business.” Following up to his 2022 album, Electric Souls, his newest track comes alongside a few recent singles.

    Inspired by an experience at a business convention, Dmitry Wild penned “Rock N Roll Is My Business” in response to a question posed to the audience, “What is your business?”. Finding himself at odds with the businesspeople and conventiongoers, he was inspired by his own answer, “Rock N Roll Is My Business.”

    Wild’s newest track exudes confidence, accompanied by ever-present horns and funky, layered vocals. He latches onto the classic rock-n-roll figurehead frame, and creates a Halloween-esque sound that solidifies his place in the rock-n-roll business.

    Dmitry Wild

    “Rock N Roll Is My Business” released following Wild’s single, “Son of a Gun,” another funky rock track with a bright, eclectic music video alongside. In addition, he released “New York Stones” in July, a rock ballad dedicated to the city of New York. Wild sings, “No matter where we go, no matter what we do, New York is in our soul, the city that gave us rock and roll.” 

    Catch Dmitry Wild at his upcoming shows in New York. He will play Woodstock’s The Colony on October 28, as well as Freddy’s Bar in Brooklyn on November 5. Finally, he will make a stop at No Fun in Albany on December 21 to close out the year.

    Dmitry Wild Upcoming Shows

    Oct 28 – Colony, Woodstock, NY

    Nov 5 – Freddy’s Bar, Brooklyn, NY

    Nov 16 – The Eight Room, Nashville, TN

    Nov 18 – Venue TBD, New Orleans, LA

    Dec 21 – No Fun, Albany, NY 

  • Kitchen Dwellers Has Announced 2024 “L.F.G. Tour” With Tour Closing Stops in Brooklyn and Syracuse

    Kitchen Dwellers, a genre-bending quartet from Bozeman, Montana, has announced their 2024 “L.F.G. Tour.”

    Kitchen Dwellers tour

    Included on the tour for Kitchen Dwellers are two performances at Brooklyn Bowl Williamsburg, and one performance at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, which round out the tour in March and April, 2024.

    The quartet—Shawn Swain (mandolin), Torrin Daniels (banjo), Joe Funk (upright bass), and Max Davies (acoustic guitar)—twist bluegrass, folk, and rock through a kaleidoscope of homegrown stories, rich mythology, American West wanderlust, and psychedelic hues. 

    After amassing 5 million-plus streams, selling out shows, and receiving acclaim from Huffington Post, Relix, American Songwriter, Forbes, and more, the group brings audiences back for the ride on their third full-length album.

    Kitchen Dwellers’ Instagram

    In the past, the group’s songs touched on the physical surroundings of Wise River, a 30-mile long river running through the Southwestern region of Montana. This time, the band decided to dive deeper and talk about the issues everyone has faced after the pandemic in 2020.

    “The town of Wise River is basically a forgotten spot on the map. It used to be a thriving place with many prosperous mines, but now it’s practically dried up. There’s a hell of a lot of melancholy. In our mind, it symbolizes the overall feeling of being in slowed-down Montana life.”

    Shawn Swain (mandolin)

    Kitchen Dwellers share timeless American stories. Song topics vary from mental health issues in the music industry to the death of a friend. Everyone can find a song that speaks to them, and that shows the band’s expansive writing and musical skills, and how they’ve grown since their already musically-sound past albums Ghost In The Bottle and Muir Maid.

    Kitchen Dwellers’ Instagram

    KITCHEN DWELLERS ON TOUR

    October 26 @ Suwannee Hulaween | Live Oak, FL

    October 27 @ Pour House | Charleston, SC^

    October 28 @ Pour House | Charleston, SC^

    October 29 @ Visulite Theatre | Charlotte, NC^

    October 31 @ Georgia Theatre | Athens, GA^ 

    November 9 @ Cervantes’ Other Side | Denver, CO – VIP ONLY

    November 10 @ Ogden Theatre | Denver, CO^^

    November 11 @ Ogden Theatre | Denver, CO

    November 30 @ Fine Line | Minneapolis, MN**

    December 1 @ The Sylvee | Madison, WI #

    December 2 @ Wooly’s | Des Moines, IA**

    December 3 @ RecordBar | Kansas City, MO**

    December 6 @ Kenny’s Westside Pub | Peoria, IL** 

    December 7 @ The Stache At The Intersection | Grand Rapids, MI**

    December 8 – 9 @ The Summit Music Hall | Columbus, OH**

    December 29 @ Top Hat Lounge | Missoula, MT

    December 30 @ The Wilma | Missoula, MT

    December 31 @ The Wilma | Missoula, MT

    1/16 @ Belly Up Aspen | Aspen, CO**

    1/17 @ Belly Up Aspen | Aspen, CO**

    1/18 @ Mesa Theater | Grand Junction, CO**

    1/20 @ Center For The Arts | Crested Butte, CO** 

    1/21 @ Sheridan Opera House | Telluride, CO** 

    1/23 @  Meow Wolf | Santa Fe, NM*

    1/25 @ Beer City Music Hall | Oklahoma City, OK* 

    1/26 @  Deep Ellum Art Co. | Dallas, TX*

    1/27 | Empire Garage | Austin, TX* 

    2/13 @ Treefort Music Hall |  Boise, ID 

    2/14 @ The Commonwealth Room | Salt Lake City, UT % 

    2/16 @ Belly Up Tavern | Solana Beach, CA 

    2/17 @ Troubadour | West Hollywood, CA

    2/18 @  The Independent | San Francisco, CA

    2/21 @  WOW Hall | Eugene, OR**

    2/22 @  Revolution Hall | Portland, OR**

    2/23 @ Midtown Ballroom | Bend, OR** 

    2/24 @ Neptune Theatre | Seattle, WA** 

    2/25 @  Wild Buffalo | Bellingham, WA**

    3/1-3 @ WinterWonderGrass | Steamboat Springs, CO 

    3/21 @ Infinity Hall | Hartford, CT^^ 

    3/22 @ The Met | Pawtucket, RI^^ 

    3/23 @ State Theatre | Portland, ME^^ 

    3/24 @ The Drake |  Amherst, MA^^ 

    3/27 @ The Capitol Room at The Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center | Harrisburg, PA^^ 

    3/28 @ Lincoln Theatre | Washington, DC^^

    3/29 @  Brooklyn Bowl | Brooklyn, NY^^

    3/30 @  Brooklyn Bowl | Brooklyn, NY

    4/2 @  Westcott Theater | Syracuse, NY^^

    General ticket on sale is Friday, October 27 at 10am local time. For ticket information, visit their website.

    Stream Kitchen Dwellers’ music on Spotify or Apple Music.

    For more information, follow Kitchen Dwellers on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.

  • Cat Power To Play Carnegie Hall, Honor Bob Dylan

    Singer-songwriter Cat Power has announced a special Carnegie Hall Valentine’s Day performance, recreating Bob Dylan’s iconic performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

    The show will feature a 15-song recreation of Dylan’s set, and will be released as a companion to her album, Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert to be released on November 10.

    Cat Power

    In addition to announcing her Dylan tribute set, Power released two singles from her upcoming album. “Mr Tambourine Man” and “Like A Rolling Stone,” both live Dylan covers, honor the legendary folk musician with Power’s distinct flair. 

    I had and still have such respect for the man who crafted so many songs that helped develop conscious thinking in millions of people, helped shape the way they see the world. So even though my hands were shaking so much I had to keep them in my pockets, I felt real dignity for myself. It felt like a real honor for me to stand there.

    Chan Marshall (Cat Power)

    Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert is a recording of a live tribute show, based on Bob Dylan’s May 1966 show at Manchester Free Trade Hall. The show was put down in history as the Royal Albert Hall Concert due to a mislabeled bootleg. Dylan’s famous set featured a mid-show switch from acoustic to electric, which Power will duly recreate. 

    Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert

    Cat Power, offstage known as Chan Marshall, will embark on a four-date tour honoring Bob Dylan and celebrating her new album. She will make two sold-out stops at West Hollywood’s The Troubadour, and one at Los Angeles’ Palace Theatre, following up with a Valentine’s Day performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

    Tickets for Cat Power on February 14th show at Carnegie Hall will go on sale October 27 at 11AM ET. 

  • The Walkmen Play Kings Theatre, End 2023 Tour with Outstanding Show

    Legendary Indie Rock outfit The Walkmen played the final show of their 2023 tour at Kings Theatre on Tuesday, October 17 in Brooklyn. Longtime friend of the band and acclaimed Vampire Weekend alum Rostam Batmanglij opened the show. His setlist included a Vampire Weekend song, as well as songs from his solo projects.

    Rostam invited Walkmen founder and frontman Hamilton Leithauser onstage to join him for a few songs. The two had collaborated in 2016 for an album, and they played three songs from that record.

    The Walkmen at Kings Theatre. Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)

    The Walkmen played a set packed with fan favorite songs, as well as quite a few deep cuts. The band is known for their high energy songs, with high tempo drum beats and hard rock vocals.

    Rostam performs with The Walkmen. Photograph by David Reichmann (@davidpresspass)

    To introduce “The Blizzard of ’96,” Hamilton brought his daughter out with a newspaper from the day of the blizzard.

    This show marked the end of The Walkmen’s reunion. After their 12 year break from playing live shows, the band reunited for a 2023 tour, which included five sold out nights at Webster Hall. Hamilton said after the final song at Kings, “This is goodbye for a little while. Not forever. But a little while.” Despite the bittersweet nature of this final show of their tour and reunion for 2023, fans left abuzz with joy.

    You can enjoy The Walkmen’s music here, and be sure to stay tuned for any tour announcements coming in “a little while.” Check out our photo gallery by David Reichmann below.

    The Walkmen – Kings Theatre, Brooklyn – Tuesday, October 17

    Setlist: What’s in It for Me, On the Water, In the New Year, The Rat, Wake Up, The Blizzard of ’96, New Years Eve, Little House of Savages, 138th Street, Blue as Your Blood, Juveniles, Dónde Está la Playa, Angela Surf City, Postcards from Tiny Islands, Red Moon, I Lost You, All Hands and the Cook, Canadian Girl, Heaven

    Encore: Thinking of a Dream I Had, We’ve Been

  • Nickel Creek 2024 Tour To Stop in Rochester, Troy, Buffalo

    Grammy Award-winning trio, Nickel Creek—mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins—will continue their extensive headline tour next year including newly confirmed shows in Rochester, Troy, and Buffalo.

    After meeting as young children in California’s That Pizza Place, and subsequently earning the respect of the bluegrass circuit for a decade, the trio signed with venerable label, Sugar Hill Records, in 2000 and quickly broke through with their Grammy-nominated, Alison Krauss-produced self-titled LP. Since that effort, the trio has released three more studio albums to date: 2002’s This Side, which won Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 45th Grammy Awards, 2005’s Why Should the Fire Die? and 2014’s A Dotted Line. 

    Each member of Nickel Creek has also taken part in many outside projects over the years. Chris Thile is a 2012 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and served as the host of the American radio variety show “Live from Here” (formerly “A Prairie Home Companion”) from 2016 to 2020. He has also released collaborative albums with world-renowned musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Brad Mehldau and Stuart Duncan as well as six studio albums with his Grammy-winning band, Punch Brothers. Sean Watkins is a co-founder of Watkins Family Hour alongside Sara, who has released three albums and maintains a long-running collaborative show in Los Angeles. Sean has also released a string of solo albums, while Sara’s extracurricular projects include the aforementioned Watkins Family Hour, as well as the Grammy-winning roots trio, I’m With Her, which she co-founded alongside Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz. Sara Jarosz has released four studio albums and has contributed fiddle to recordings for artists like Phoebe Bridgers, The Killers, and John Mayer.

    Even stronger when together, Nickel Creek revolutionized bluegrass and folk in the early 2000s and ushered in a new era of what we now recognize as Americana music. In a 2020 retrospective entitled, “The Year Folk Broke: How Nickel Creek Made Americana The New Indie Rock,” NPR Music praised, “20 years ago this month, an album arrived that seemed to speak all these languages at once: unafraid to push the boundaries of its primary genre, and packing the musical chops to bring such an eclectic vision to life. Behind it were three musicians just barely old enough to vote” and continued, “That makes Nickel Creek and its unofficial debut a critical point along a storied timeline, one whose innovations offer countless connections between the genre’s origins and its future. Once dubbed ‘progressive newgrassers,’ the three musicians now fit firmly within the ranks of Americana music—however nebulous, layered and diverse that realm may be. They have only themselves to thank.”

    The upcoming shows add to a landmark year for the group, who released Celebrants—their fifth studio album and first release in nine years—this past spring via Thirty Tigers. Additionally, Nickel Creek recently received the Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award at the 2023 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards and performed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “CBS Saturday Morning” earlier this year.

    Recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A, the album was produced by longtime collaborator Eric Valentine (Queens of the Stone Age, Grace Potter, Weezer) and features Mike Elizondo on bass. Reflecting on the project, the band shares, “This is a record about embracing the friction inherent in real human connection. We begin the record yearning for and pursuing harmonious connection. We end the record having realized that truly harmonious connection can only be achieved through the dissonance that we’ve spent our entire adult lives trying to avoid.”

    NICKEL CREEK CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

    February 6, 2024—Iowa City, IA—Hancher Auditorium

    February 7, 2024—Madison, WI—Overture Hall

    February 9, 2024—Des Moines, IA—Hoyt Sherman Place

    February 10, 2024—Indianapolis, IN—Murat Theatre at Old National Centre

    February 12, 2024—Peoria, IL—Peoria Civic Center Theater

    February 13, 2024—Kalamazoo, MI—Kalamazoo State Theatre

    February 15, 2024—Columbus, OH—Mershon Auditorium

    February 16, 2024—Fort Wayne, IN—The Clyde Theatre

    February 17, 2024—Louisville, KY—The Louisville Palace

    February 19, 2024—Durham, NC—Durham Performing Arts Center

    February 20, 2024—Augusta, GA—Miller Theater

    February 21, 2024—Jacksonville, FL—Florida Theatre

    February 23, 2024—Fort Lauderdale, FL—Broward Center for the Performing Arts

    February 24, 2024—Clearwater, FL—Ruth Eckerd Hall

    March 12, 2024—Canton, OH—Canton Palace Theatre

    March 14, 2024—Bethesda, MD—Music Center at Strathmore

    March 15, 2024—Newark, NJ—NJPAC

    March 16, 2024—Rochester, NY—Kodak Center

    March 17, 2024—Burlington, VT—Flynn Center for the Performing Arts

    March 19, 2024—Groton, MA—Groton Hill Music Center Concert Hall 

    March 21, 2024—Storrs, CT—Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts

    March 22, 2024— Troy, NY—Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

    March 23, 2024—Buffalo, NY—University at Buffalo Center for the Arts

    March 24, 2024— Lancaster, PA—American Music Theatre

    April 26, 2024—Knoxville, TN—Tennessee Theatre

    April 27, 2024—Savannah, GA—Johnny Mercer Theatre

    April 30, 2024—Huntsville, AL—VBC Mark Smith Concert Hall

    May 2, 2024—Little Rock, AR—The Hall

    Tickets for the 2024 shows are available for pre-sale starting today, October 25, at 10:00am local time with general on-sale following this Friday, October 27 at 10:00am local time. Full details can be found at www.nickelcreek.com/tour. 

    For more information on the band or any upcoming shows, follow Nickel Creek on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or visit their website.

    Stream their music via Apple Music or Spotify.

  • Daze of the Dead: Billy & The Kids Rock The Capitol Theatre

    This past weekend, Billy & The Kids played a two-night run at the legendary Capitol Theatre, with sets including covers of the Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, The Who, and Eric Clapton.

    This time around the band included of course Bill Kreutzmann, and the ‘kids’, Reed Mathis, Aron Magner, and Tom Hamilton, who were joined by Andrew and Brad Barr of The Barr Brothers.

    The band started of with a tight set featuring crowd favorites like “Eyes of the World,” “Jack Straw,” and “Beat It on Down the Line.”

    On October 20th, the theater celebrated the 1000th show for Head Usher Brian Lynch who had the occasion commemorated with a trophy which was handed by Pete Shapiro and Billy Kreutzmann himself.

    The second set started off with a traditionally psychedelic “Drums > Space” into another crowd favorite “Scarlet Begonias.” The second set was filled with elaborate jams and ended with an incredible “Fire on the Mountain” and the band came back for an encore of “Lay Down Sally” and “Ripple.”

    Billy & the Kids – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester – Friday, October 20, 2023

    Set 1: The Kids Are Alright, St. Stephen, Eyes of the World, She Belongs to Me, Beat It on Down the Line, Mama Tried, Jack Straw, Row Jimmy, Let’s Spend the Night Together

    Set 2: Drums > Space, Scarlet Begonias, Friend of the Devil, Ramble on Rose, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, Fire on the Mountain 

    Encore: Lay Down Sally, Ripple 

  • Cat Clyde at Skylark Lounge: Rochester Catches a Rising Star

    Honest Folk brought Canadian singer/songwriter Cat Clyde to Rochester’s Skylark Lounge on Saturday night. By the end of the show, or rather not even halfway through, it was a mutual love fest. The crowd, some familiar some not, were eating up every word and every note, while Clyde, recognizing this, was visibly and verbally blown away by the response. It was her first time to town and the cozy bar was essentially sold out, many singing along and most all exuberantly encouraging her between songs.

    She, along with her band including guitar, bass and drums, were touring behind her excellent new release Down Rounder. In a little over an hour, they would play nearly every track from that record, while also sprinkling earlier and even newer material, one played for the first time live even, throughout.

    Musically songs patched together sounds from grooving rock, surf, honky tonk, 50’s ballads, indie rock, slow blues, outlaw country, 60’s European psychedelia and even a little Middle Eastern influence.

    Thematically the songs were grounded in the natural world. Rain, rivers, trees and other elements found around us were referenced liberally. But it as those actually ungrounded in nature that popped up most frequently: the birds, the moon, the sun and the stars.

    “Hawk in the Tree” was about her urge to be a bird. An urge that doesn’t seem all that recent, because in “Not Like You” from her earlier release Hunters Trance she sang, “I may be a bird in a cage, but at least I have my wings.” In “The River” there were “birds moving like a school of fish in the sky.” “The Gloom” expressed her love for the moon, and in “All the Black” she “told the moonlight I was scared.” Even her one cover of the night was of Bonnie Guitar’s country croon “Dark Moon.” And in “Papa Took My Totems” she brought them both together, singing “the moon was a loon.”

    Instrumentally the music was carried on Clyde’s incredible voice. Her backing band was excellent at fleshing out her tunes but remained a backing band throughout, there to service and highlight the talents of their front woman. Except when she played a couple on her own mid-set. She could drift from husky and deep to soft and soaring from verse to chorus, or jump octaves instantly and effortlessly from one word to the next. At times she would just be singing syllables in a folk-like scat, using her voice solely as an instrument, and an incredible instrument it was. When “Real Love” opened with her singing a capella, it became apparent she could carry an entire song, maybe the whole set, with just her voice.

    Clearly Cat Clyde is a star, or bird or moon, on the rise.

    Opener Libby DeCamp had played Rochester before, seven years ago, but her memories were fuzzy. She used her honey sweet voice and resonator guitar to present a set of mostly new songs like “Tigers of Wrath,” inspired by a transcendentalism phase she went through, and “Torch.” Her material was sparse and spacious, each note and each word carrying extra weight. Hopefully this memory sticks a little better for her, Rochester would love a quicker return.

    But until then, Rochester has another Honest Folk show to look forward to as the great Marty O’Reilly returns to play an intimate gig at the brand new venue, Essex, on November 11.

    Cat Clyde Setlist: So Heavy, Mystic Light, Everywhere I Go, Hawk in the Tree, The Gloom, Real Love, Mama Said, Dark Moon (Bonnie Guitar), New Song, Not Like You, The Man I Loved Blues, Where is My Love, Bird Bone, Papa Took My Totems, Eternity, So Cold, All the Black
    Encore: The River, I Feel It

  • In Focus: My Morning Jacket at The Beacon Theatre

    Celebrating 20 years since the release of It Still Moves, My Morning Jacket and their loyal fans descended upon the Upper West Side of Manhattan for three nights of shows at the Beacon Theatre, with Madi Diaz opening up each night.

    my morning jacket beacon theatre

    My Morning Jacket kicked off their 3-night run at The Beacon Theatre with a bang, playing their album It Still Moves in its entirety to the sold out crowd. A real treat for fans, the band returned for a 7-song encore, starting with Jim James solo on “I Needed It Most”, played for the first time since 2018.

    The encore included a live debut of “Grab a Body” as well as “Feel You,” “It Beats 4 U,” and “Phone Went West” to close out the night. James spoke about how blessed we are to be in such a beautiful place that is the Beacon Theatre.

    Friday night of My Morning Jacket at the Beacon Theatre started off with a full version of “Cobra,” clocking in at almost 17 minutes. The setlist that followed captivated the sold-out crowd from start to finish, with stand out songs including “O is the One That Is Real,” “Strangulation,“ and “Victory Dance.”

    They returned to the stage for a 6-song encore with opener Madi Diaz joining Jim James and company to perform “The Wind” by Cat Stevens. The highlight of the encore was “Highly Suspicious,” off their 2008 album Evil Urges.

    my morning jacket beacon theatre

    Saturday saw Diaz join the band once again, joining for “I Will Be There When You Die,” an apt song given the first lines being “Joe was born in New York City, Son of Paul and Catherine, Always down and always out, But his ‘morrows always seemed jus’ fine.”

    This week, the tour marches on, playing in Albany on Wednesday, October 25 at the Palace Theatre and at The Met in Philadelphia on Friday, October 27, before heading to the Southeast and closing the tour out in Chicago November 9-11.

    My Morning Jacket – Beacon Theatre, NYC – Thursday, October 19

    Setlist: It Still Moves, Mahgeetah, Dancefloors, Golden, Master Plan, One Big Holiday, I Will Sing You Songs, Easy Morning Rebel, Run Thru, Rollin Back, Just One Thing, Steam Engine, One in the Same
    Encore: I Needed It Most, Old Sept. Blues, Feel You, It Beats 4 U, Compound Fracture, Grab a Body, Phone Went West

    my morning jacket beacon theatre

    My Morning Jacket – Beacon Theatre, NYC – Friday, October 20

    Setlist: Cobra, Gideon, The Way That He Sings, Lay Low, Slow Slow Tune, Run It, I’m Amazed, Least Expected, Lucky to Be Alive, War Begun, Strangulation!, Victory Dance, O Is the One That Is Real, Smokin’ From Shootin’, It’s About Twilight Now, Anytime
    Encore: Butch Cassidy, The Wind (with Madi Diaz), Only Memories Remain, First Light, Highly Suspicious, Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2

    my morning jacket beacon theatre

    My Morning Jacket – Beacon Theatre, NYC – Saturday, October 21

    Setlist: In Its Infancy (The Waterfall), Spring (Among the Living), Holdin On to Black Metal, Never in the Real World, Evil Urges, I Think I’m Going to Hell, I Will Be There When You Die (with Madi Diaz),
    Knot Comes Loose, Heartbreakin Man, What a Wonderful Man, Honest Man, Tropics (Erase Traces), Thank You Too!, Climbing the Ladder, Off the Record, Wasted, Dondante, Love Love Love, Circuital
    Encore: State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.), Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1, Wordless Chorus

    my morning jacket beacon theatre
    my morning jacket beacon theatre
    my morning jacket beacon theatre
    my morning jacket beacon theatre
    my morning jacket beacon theatre
    my morning jacket beacon theatre