NYS Music 2023

Tag: Deer Tick

  • Five Can’t-Miss Shows in Syracuse In November

    With the holiday season rapidly approaching, many take a moment to reflect and give thanks for their family and friends. Many will also give thanks to the music community that graces their town. Here are five shows you won’t want to miss in Syracuse this November to help ring in the holiday season.

    syracuse city skyline
    Photo by Tony Shi

    November 11: Diva Nova at Maplewood Inn

    A star-studded line up of female Central New York musicians share the stage at the Maplewood Inn on Saturday, November 11.  Headlined by area favorite Jess Novak, the night will include performances by Sheela Tucker, CNY Songbirds, Liz Fiddle, Sydney Irving, Heather Kubacki, Diana Jacobs, Lisa Romano and many more.   See the full line up of musical talent here.

    Tickets start at $23 with music starting at 7pm. 

    November 12:  Deer Tick at Homer Center for the Arts

    Indie-rockers Deer Tick make their much anticipated return to Homer’s Center for the Arts on Sunday, November 12.    Known for their high energy live performances, the folk quartet last played the theater in July 2022.  Currently touring in support of their latest release, Emotional Contracts (2023), the band is sure to mix in many favorites from their extensive catalog.  Abby Hamilton opens the show.

    Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm for this sold out performance.

    November 15:  The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight at the Crouse Hinds Theater

    A unique listening experience will greet concert-goers on Wednesday November 15, as the Rock Orchestra by Candlelight will take stage in Syracuse.  Featuring a 14 piece band of classically trained musicians dressed in skeletal costumes, the musicians will perform an assortment of rock and heavy-metal tracks while lanterns and puppets adorn the stage.  This musical spectacle is surely one you won’t want to miss.

    Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm.  Limited tickets remain available for $88.

    November 22:  All Poets & Heroes at Funk ’n Waffles.

    It’ll be a homecoming celebration Thanksgiving Eve, as Syracuse indie rock favorite All Poets & Heroes return to the stage in Syracuse.  The band relocated to Nashville in early 2023, leading to limited performances in Syracuse. The band, who have drawn sonic comparisons to Radiohead, were winners of the 2023 Syracuse Area Music Award for Best New Single, for their track “Give It To Me Straight”.   Syracuse’s The Dirty Doves Band open the show.

    Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm. Tickets start at $13.

    November 28:  Lawrence at The Westcott Theater

    New York City soul-pop band Lawrence bring their sounds to the Westcott Theater on November 28.  Described as “High-energy, keyboard driven sound, featuring tight, energetic horns, and explosive lead vocals,” the band have been turning heads since a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2022.   Telula opens the performance.

    Doors open at 7pm with music starting at 8pm. Tickets are $30.

  • Weekend at Levon’s with Deer Tick

    On the cusp of releasing their latest album Emotional Contracts, Deer Tick performed two sold-out nights (June 9th and 10th) at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock. Both shows included performances of new songs while sharing favorites from the bands catalog. 

    Deer Tick

    Opening Saturday’s show, Rafay Rashid.  A Providence R.I resident by way of Islamabad, Pakistan. Introducing songs from his debut solo album Kitchen Weapons, Rahid and his band (including a few members of Deer Tick) had a melodic grove intensifying as their set progressed. His excitement opening for Deer Tick was evident, calling them out occasionally between songs. Rafay’s performance set the groove, readying the house for what was to come.

    Rafay Rashid
    Rafay Rashid

    With the intimacy of Levon Helm Studios, the vibe between band and audience is beyond palpable. The moment singer/guitarist John McCauley, guitarist Ian O’Neil, drummer Dennis Ryan, bassist Christopher Ryan hit the stage, it was on.  With dueling guitars, multiple lead vocals, a solid rhythm section, Deer Tick is a formidable part of rock and roll. 

    Deer Tick

    Opening with “Forgiving Ties” from their latest project, the night continued with a host of new material. Deeper into the set, the band maneuvered across the spectrum of Deer Tick. “Jumpstarting” from Dear Tick Vol. 2 had the crowd singing. It continued on from there with people clapping in time and jumping up to dance, because they had no choice.

    Deer Tick

    On night two, their makeshift encore (at Levon’s, it is not logistically feasible to step off the stage to a backstage area), La Bamba leaped out to start it off. Closing, McCauley and company shared “The Real Thing,” the final track from Emotional Contracts.

    Deer Tick with Robert Ellis
    Deer Tick with Robert Ellis

    As a bonus, the Texas Piano Man Robert Ellis sat in with the band. Tucked into the corner of the stage, Ellis’s ticking of the ivories helped take the night to an even higher level. For both Deer Tick and those in attendance, this was a special weekend. Experiencing new songs while pulling out favorites. Quenching the Deer Tick fan palate to the fullest. 

    Deer Tick

    Deer Tick
    Deer Tick
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    Deer Tick
    Deer Tick

    Rafay Rashid

    Rafay Rashid
    Rafay Rashid
    Rafay Rashid
    Rafay Rashid
    Rafay Rashid
    Rafay Rashid
    Rafay Rashid
    Rafay Rashid

  • Deer Tick Keeps It Weird at Lincoln Hill Farms

    A week in advance of the release of their new album, Rhode Island folk-rock stalwarts Deer Tick visited Lincoln Hill Farms in Canandaigua. It was a bit of a weird week in Western New York as smoke from Canadian wildfires filled the air, forcing people indoors and into masks once again. The air cleared enough to safely stage the show, and the show would go on.

    But still, for Deer Tick, “it was a weird time to be alive,” according to guitarist and singer John McCauley. Not this era, decade, week, or day, but specifically the current time, 7:47pm. A hard curfew of 9pm, ensured the sun would be out for pretty much the whole show. It was an early set for the band more attuned to the late night bar crowd, even if they’ve outgrown their bar band days.

    Weird as it was, Deer Tick stuffed their early-evening time with songs spanning their career, from some of their earliest tunes. like “Easy” and “Twenty Miles,” all the way up to their as-yet released material. It all flowed together seamlessly. The old tunes felt as fresh as ever, while the new ones had a well-worn quality like they had been there all along.

    The new record, Emotional Contracts, was actually recorded not all that far away, in the similarly named Cassadaga, NY at Tarbox Road Studios. Kinda weird?

    In their own weird way, they worked in some tributes to some of the rockers that helped paved their way. “Me and My Man” got a little bit of ZZ Top’s “La Grange” added at the front, which prompted McCauley to suggest they do that for all of their songs. So on the ensuing, “The Bump,” his band mates jokingly obliged with teases of Tom Petty’s “Running Down a Dream,” and The Beatles’ “Day Tripper.” When MCCauley’s monitor needed a battery change, the rest of the band settled into a nice little groove while waiting. This sounded like Santana and Rob Thomas’ hit “Smooth” to McCauley so he of course started singing what he could remember from that. Then on the tail end of “The Dream’s in the Ditch,” McCauley tacked on Santo and Johnny’s “Tear Drop,” with their signature languid slide guitar sound. They weren’t over a more traditional cover either, throwing in a rollicking rendition of Little Feat’s “Rocket in my Pocket” mid-set that featured searing solos from both McCauley and guitarist Ian O’Neill. Even the banter included tributes, with Cheap Trick’s famous line, “This is the first song off our new album!” appropriately introducing the new tune, “If I Try to Leave.”

    The latest single, “Once in a Lifetime” was titled like a cover, but it was all original, getting down with Chris Ryan’s groovy bass line. As much fun as the band was having with their little asides, their original material ruled the day, or the early-evening rather. Drummer Dennis Ryan penned the new “Running From Love,” which came to him in a dream. The soul-inflected tune built and built, culminating in a fiery solo from McCauley on his orange guitar, with his matching orange pick, which he also thought was “weird.”

    The set closed on “Mange,” tossing the previous 80 minutes together into a rock assault. A long intro set the scene, a grooving bass laid the groundwork, and a big “whoop” set the fuse. Then the band went all in with raging guitars, a big drum solo, and a drifting feedback jam. They put it all out there for a big rock show finish.

    But of course there was more. They came back for a two-song encore that pushed right up to that 9pm curfew. The night closed with “the last song on our new album,” the slow oozing rocker “The Real Thing” that surely left everyone in attendance hotly anticipating their first listen to Emotional Contracts.

    If you missed out, don’t fret, the band will be back in the area with a show at the Homer Center for the Arts on November 12.

    Setlist: Forgiving Ties, If I Try to Leave, Me and My Man, The Bump > Easy, Rocket in My Pocket (Little Feat), If She Could See Me Now, Twenty Miles, Running From Love, Hope is Big > Tripping Up the Stairs (Traditional), Once in a Lifetime, Clownin’ Around, The Dream’s in the Ditch > Tear Drop (Santo & Johnny), Mange
    Encore: Jumpstarting, The Real Thing

  • Five Can’t-Miss Shows in Rochester Area This June

    In Rochester, there are nine days in June that are, for many, the richest nine days of live music on the calendar, named the Rochester International Jazz Fest. But we’ll get to that in a separate post. There’s plenty of other live music to go around this month, so let’s get right to it!

    June 8, Deer Tick at Lincoln Hill Farms

    It’s summer, outdoor shows are king, and most of the outdoor venues are not in Rochester proper. So excuse us if we jump a little bit outside Monroe County here. Lincoln Hill Farms is a great little spot in Canandaigua, and with Dan Small Presents picking up the booking duties their calendar is filling out nicely. One show that has caught our particular attention is this little rock band that could from Providence, Deer Tick. They haven’t played these parts in a bit. Combining superb songwriting with reckless barroom energy, they’ll show you a great time. Rafay Rashid will open the show.

    The music will start at 630pm and tickets are $30.

    June 10, Surprise Chef at Photo City Music Hall

    Australia is exporting some fantastic music these days, across most any genre you can think of. Surprise Chef, a quintet out of Melbourne, is churning out some seriously good instrumental soul-funk like you’d expect from deep in Brooklyn or deep in the South. Catch their twist on things in their Rochester debut. Alanna Royale will open the show.

    Music gets started around 8pm and tickets are $15.

    June 11, The Wood Brothers at Perinton Center Park Amphitheater

    If you’ve seen live music at the Perinton Amphitheater before it was likely of the free community concert variety. But this year Rochester Events is trying it out as a big show venue, starting with Collective Soul on June 1. A week and a half later Rochester faves The Wood Brothers will grace the stage. Ever since a couple of raucous barn burners at the aforementioned Rochester International Jazz Fest some Junes ago, they’ve made Rochester a regular stop. Needless to say, many barns have been burned. They are returning again with another excellent new album in tow. Shovels and Rope open up this time around.

    Show starts at 7pm and tickets are $39.50.

    June 26, David Murray and Kahlil El’Zabar at Bop Shop Records

    Jazz Fest is not the only time of year to catch world-class jazz in Rochester. And even during Jazz Fest, it isn’t the only place to catch world-class jazz. Case in point, Bop Shop Records, one of the best places to catch adventurous music all year round, is bringing back the great Kahlil El’Zabar, who has appeared there so many times, he must be dubbed the Rusted Root of the Bop Shop (iykyk). This time around he is joined by the legendary tenor saxophonist, and his friend of over 40 years, David Murray. Together they are called the Golden Seas Duo and this is a golden opportunity to have your mind blown.

    Show will get started at 8pm and tickets are $25/$30 dos.

    June 30, Budos Band at Photo City Music Hall

    Tying this whole post up in a neat little bow, here is another instrumental soul band at Photo City Music Hall, another Jazz Fest alumnus, and another great jazz show butting up against Jazz Fest. Budos Band will probably start up late enough to come check it out after your Jazz Fest fun though, so we’d suggest partaking in both. Budos Band is on the supreme Daptone Records label and is one of the best things on the label. Heavy, funky, soulful, and as with everything else on this list, not to be missed! Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor get the show started.

    Doors open at 7pm and tickets are $26.