Tag: Karina Rykman

In Focus: Karina Rykman Makes Saratoga Springs Debut at Putnam Place

Karina Rykman made her debut appearance in Saratoga Springs with a show at Putnam Place on Thursday, November 30. With a strong crowd in attendance – and some fans making the trek up to Burlington on December 1 and 2 – Rykman’s first show in the Spa City will certainly not be her last.

Opening the night was Coyote Island, a reggae/pop group from Maine, on tour with Rykman this fall.

Throughout her single set, Karina would play a variety of songs from her debut album, Joyride, released this past August. Beginning the show with some of the most familiar tracks on the album, from “Beacon” through “Plants,” each was played with slow building energy and focus from the band, loosening up as the set progressed.

“City Kids” would mark a frenzied shift of the set’s vivacity, with Rykman running around in circles, pumping the already engaged crowd up even more. Guitarist Adam November dropped rapid fire guitar, the kind you’d hear in “The Great Curve,” with just the proper amount of distortion incorporated – never too heavy and present in the right spots. Rykman dropped a few bars of “The National Anthem” by Radiohead, per usual turning ears to the stage when this ear worm of a bass line makes its appearance.

“Run of the Mill” brought with it venue-shaking bass bombs, and slowly seeped into Butthole Surfers’ “Pepper,” which had more energy than the 1996 song. Rykman and drummer Chris Corsico put a grungy feel to the debut of “Canary in a Colemine,” a tinge of Mary J. Blige’s “Family Affair” slipping in amid the final songs of the set.

For an encore, Rykman chose to debut “Song 2” from Blur, a great addition to their setlist arsenal, and a performance that assures her return to the Capital Region in the future.

Karina Rykman – Putnam Place, Saratoga Springs – Thursday, November 30, 2023

Setlist: Beacon, Skylark/Slowlark, Joyride > All That You Wanted > Plants > Arbitrary > Dirty South, City Kids, Run of the Mill > Pepper, Reboot, No Occasion > Canary in a Colemine > The Hardest Button to Button, Atom Dance, Elevator
Encore: Song 2

Up next for Rykman is a performance at Warren Haynes’ XMas Jam in Asheville, NC on Saturday, December 9, then at Mohegan Sun on December 30. Check out her full tour dates here.

December 3, 2023
Marco Benevento Spearheads Fundraising Concert to Battle Controversial Development at Colony Woodstock

During the height of the COVID-19 shutdown, residents of Woodstock and surrounding burgs stayed sane, in large part, due to the efforts of Neil and Lexi Howard, the proprietors of the Colony Woodstock. While all other entertainment options seemed to be shuttered, Hudson Valley music-lovers could mask up and head to the new beer garden behind the legendary venue to eat, drink and hear great sounds – from both some national acts who were in performance cold storage due to the COVID shutdown and many fine local players.

So, it came as no surprise when the Colony opened its doors on October 22 to host a fundraising event for The Stop Woodstock National Coalition. This is a community-based group working with the Woodstock Land Conservancy to combat a proposed development that would wipe out 620+ acres of forest and wetlands with 191 housing units, a golf course and a helipad.

The sell-out event was headlined by Marco Benevento, the Woodstock keyboard wizard and multi-instrumentalist known for his work as a soloist, in his duo with Joe Russo and in collaboration with varied artists like Phish axe man Trey Anastasio, Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, Tortoise’s John McEntire, drummers Billy Martin and Smashing Pumpkin’s Matt Chamberlin and many others.

Benevento gathered a flock of the area’s finest for a raucous evening of funk, psych and soul-inspired jamming all for a wonderful cause. The supporting line-up included but was not limited to drummers Aaron Johnston (Brazilian Girls), Bill Carbone (Max Creek) and Chris Consico, bassists Karina Rykman and Jeff Hill (Steve Earle), saxophonist Maria Christina Eisen, guitarist Danny Blume and singers Leslie Mendleson and Simi Stone.

The evening was kicked off with an eight-song set by singer-songwriter Kenny Roby. Roby’s first three numbers, with just acoustic guitar and voice, were obscured by the din of the packed house. Things kicked up several notches when he was joined by Johnston, Hill and Blume for a cover of “Street People” from legendary Woodstock songwriter Bobby Charles. Another highlight of his set was when Leslie Mendleson joined to belt out the lead vox on “I’m Gonna Leave You Behind.”

The night segued without break into Benevento’s set. He set things in motion with the bass and keyboard intro before kicking into trio hyper-drive with “At the End of the Beginning” from his 2022 disc Benevento. The youthful Consico laid down a thick Disco-meets-Bonham beat while Rykman kept it simple and in-the-pocket. The tune, as many in the evening, left plenty of space for Benevento’s inventive soloing on electro piano, organ and Mini-Moog. He also laid down lots of old school synth samples (was that a vintage Crumar sound, Marco?), with added echo, delay, phase and fuzz twisted out of an array of old stomp boxes.

The band next served up the title track from Marco’s 2019 release, “Let It Slide,” a toe-tapping stop-time pop funk crowd pleaser. On “Why You Gotta Throw It Away,” Benevento launched a solo that showcased the many influences he melds into a unified and distinctly original whole. There’s a heavy serving of New Orleans’ funk, some experimental jazz, Krautrock and psychedelics leanings and some jazzy flourishing arpeggios that make his sound like a paisley-stained Art Tatum.

The guest vocalist highlight of the night was Leslie Mendleson’s return to the stage for a take on Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” Woodstock-reared singer Simi Stone also joined to add soul on a handful of tunes including “I Can’t Let You Go.” Benevento himself sang lead on perhaps the funkiest jam of the night, a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” The band riffed long and hard on this, with Marco rolling out more Louisiana keyboard hot sauce.

On the cover of “Come Together,” the assemblage sounded like “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” era Traffic, with some fine Steve Cropper-inspired rhythmic soloing from guitarist Bloom and a biting tenor sax from Maria Christina Eisen. Another standout was the cover of the Gene McDaniel’s penned protest classic “Compared to What,” best known in its live rendition by soul jazzers Les McCann and Eddie Harris. This version had an early 1970’s Stones’ vibe of the ”Jamming with Edward” era, accented again by the broad, vintage Bobby Keyes yakety sax work.

For more info on Stop Woodstock National, visit their website.

October 24, 2023
Karina Rykman Delivers Compelling Debut Album ‘JOYRIDE’

Karina Rykman has just released her debut album JOYRIDE for all to stream and enjoy. The nine-track project comes just ahead of her 2023 tour, beginning September 20 with multiple festival appearances before hand.

In light, Rykman’s debut album has been highly anticipated since its announcement, due to the singer’s uniqueness and ability to captivate an audience. Moreover, she brings an original style to fans as the album thoroughly captures Rykman’s jubilant brand of sonic exploration. Additionally bridging an array of genres to arrive at her own take on psychedelic indie rock. With this intention, the album includes the artist’s newest single “All That You Wanted” which features vocal accompaniment from Veronica Stewart-Frommer of Melt, as well as guitars from Melt guitarist Marlo Shankweiler and Phish’s Trey Anastasio.

About the Album

Equally important is that JOYRIDE features Trey Anastasio as co-producer and featured musician, contributing guitar on five of the album’s nine tracks. In turn, Anastasio has taken a profound interest in being a part of Rykman’s debut album, since encountering each other at 2021’s Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA. As well as the Phish frontman offering the use of his storied Vermont studio, The Barn, along with the suggestion to work with renowned mixer Bryce Goggin, the collaboration was set right from the start.

Moreover, in celebration of the release, Rykman will finish up her summer schedule and head out on her largest headlined tour yet, visiting New York nooks with a sold out show in Brooklyn and a performance in Lake George.

Although her headline tour truly begins September 20th, the artist will perform in select music festivals all over the states including Thornville, OH’s Secret Dreams Music & Arts Festival, Cockeysville, MD’s Hot August Music Festival, Lake George, NY’s Adirondack Independence Music Festival, and many more. Meanwhile fans can catch the artist at the shows shown below or can simply meander to any streaming service to listen to JOYRIDE.

JOYRIDE TOUR 2023

August 18th – Thornville, OH – Secret Dreams Music & Arts Festival *

August 19th – Cockeysville, MD – Hot August Music Festival *

September 1st -3rd – Lake George, NY – Adirondack Independence Music Festival *

September 9th – Indianapolis, IN – All In Music & Arts Festival *

September 10th – Mundelein, IL – The Miracle In Mundelein *

September 15th – Fredericton, NB – Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival *

September 16th – Greenfield, MA – Wormtown Music Festival

September 17th – East Aurora, NY – Borderland Music Festival *

September 20th – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right (SOLD OUT)

September 21st – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar †

September 22nd – Baltimore, MD – The 8×10 †

September 23rd – Richmond, VA – The Camel †

September 25th – Raleigh, NC – The Pour House Music Hall †

September 26th – Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall †

September 28th – Charleston, SC – The Charleston Pour House †

September 29th – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5 †

September 30th – Nashville, TN – The Blue Room at Third Man Records †

October 27th – San Diego, CA – Winstons Beach Club †

October 28th – Los Angeles, CA – Venice West †

October 29th – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel †

November 1st – Cave Junction, OR – Bruno’s Cavern †

November 2nd – Bend, OR – Volcanic Theatre Pub †

November 3rd – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall †

November 4th – Seattle, WA – High Dive †

December 1st – Burlington, VT – Nectar’s

December 2nd – Burlington, VT – Nectar’s

December 3rd – Portland, ME – Portland House of Music and Events

December 15th – Philadelphia, PA – MilkBoy

December 16th – Boston, MA – Sonia

* Festival Appearance

† w/ Special Guests Guerilla Toss

August 21, 2023
Karina Rykman Announces Fall Tour Stopping in Brooklyn & Saratoga Springs

Singer-songwriter-bassist Karina Rykman announced her first headlining tour this fall, ahead of the release of her debut album. “Joyride Tour 2023” begins Sept. 20 at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, then travels the US through mid-December.

“Joyride Tour 2023” celebrates the upcoming arrival of Rykman’s hugely anticipated debut album, JOYRIDE, arriving via AWAL on Friday, Aug. 18. While the tour kicks off in Brooklyn, Rykman will also stop in Saratoga Springs at Putnam Place on Nov. 30.

The album was first heralded with the premiere of the first single and title track, “Joyride.” Equal parts thick bass, ethereal synths, disco-funk guitar, and silky, inviting vocals, the track – which features signature lead guitar from JOYRIDE co-producer Trey Anastasio – expertly captures Rykman’s jubilant brand of sonic exploration, bridging an array of genres to arrive at her own compelling and original take on psychedelic indie rock.

Born and raised in New York City, Karina Rykman’s musical path began in her early teens playing in bands whenever she could while attending a veritable ton of live music as a fan. Her prowess on the bass guitar soon landed her several high-profile television gigs spanning America’s Got Talent to backing up pop star Julia Michaels on TODAY. By the end of her senior year at NYU, Rykman’s talent and infectious spirit saw her invited to join pianist Marco Benevento’s band, with whom she performed countless shows including dates with Vulfpeck, Dispatch, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Guster, and many more.

Rykman soon formed her namesake band, accompanied by Adam November (guitar, loopers, effects) and Chris Corsico (drums). She quickly earned a reputation as a mesmerizing, unmissable live act, lighting up an array of international stages with headline sets, show-stealing festival performances (including Bonnaroo, Peach Music Festival, and Sweetwater 420 Fest), shows alongside Khruangbin, Guster, and The Disco Biscuits (among others), and recent appearances sitting in with the 8G Band on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Along with headlining her tour, Rykman will also perform at festivals this summer, including the Borderland Music Festival in East Aurora. More information about tickets can be found here.

Tour Dates

AUGUST

11 – Westport, CT – Levitt Pavilion (Free Show)

17-19 – Thornville, OH – Secret Dreams Music & Arts Festival *

19 – Cockeysville, MD – Hot August Music Festival *

SEPTEMBER

1-3 – Lake George, NY – Adirondack Independence Music Festival *

9 – Indianapolis, IN – All In Music & Arts Festival *

10 – Mundelein, IL – The Miracle In Mundelein *

15 – Fredericton, NB – Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival *

15-17 – Greenfield, MA – Wormtown Music Festival

17 – East Aurora, NY – Borderland Music Festival *

20 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right (SOLD OUT)

21 – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar †

22 – Baltimore, MD – The 8×10 †

23 – Richmond, VA – The Camel †

25 – Raleigh, NC – Pour House †

26 – Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall †

28 – Charleston, SC – Pour House †

29 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5 †

30 – Nashville, TN – The Blue Room at Third Man †

OCTOBER

27 – San Diego, CA – Winstons †

28 – Los Angeles, CA – Venice West †

29 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel †

NOVEMBER

1 – Cave Junction, OR – Bruno’s Cavern †

2 – Bend, OR – Volcanic Theatre Pub †

3 – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall †

4 – Seattle, WA – High Dive †

30 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Putnam Place

DECEMBER

1 – Burlington, VT – Nectar’s

2 – Burlington, VT – Nectar’s

3 – Portland, ME – Portland House of Music

15 – Philadelphia, PA – Milkboy

16 – Boston, MA – Sonia

* Festival Appearance

† w/ Special Guests Guerilla Toss

June 21, 2023
Karina Rykman Releases “Joyride” Single and Video, debut Album due in August

Standout singer, songwriter, and bassist Karina Rykman dropped her first single and title track from her upcoming debut album JOYRIDE. The project is set to be released on August 18 and marks Rykman’s first collection of songs since she’s put out a slew of acclaimed singles dating back to 2019.

Karina Rykman was born and raised in New York City. She found music at an early age, making her way around the city performing at and attending live music venues. By the end of her time at NYU she had appeared on America’s Got Talent and the TODAY show. As part of Marco Benevento’s band, Rykman performed dates with Vulfpeck, Dispatch, and The Claypool Lennon Delirium.

Photo Credit: Brantley Gutierrez

Rykman’s own band is made up of Adam November (guitar, loopers, effects) and Chris Corsico (drums). Together the group has made a name for themselves due to their strong instrumentation, funky groove, layered production, and often genreless sound.

All these elements help to make “Joyride” such an interesting and fun listen. The track features a strong vocal performance from Rkyman, whose breathy voice and wistful lyrics could compete with any indie-pop record. The song’s tasteful synths and syrupy bass drive the beat toward an almost psychedelic sound. Joyride also features a guitar performance from JOYRIDE co-producer Trey Anastasio.

’Joyride’ is about being driven insane as you’re kept awake by music in your head all night – so much so that eventually, you give up and ask your partner to take you on a joyride instead of tossing and turning
Karina Rykman

The connection between Rkyman and Anastasio goes back to childhood. Rykman went to middle school with the Phish star’s daughters and became family friends because of it. However, the two had no musical relationship until they both performed at Peach Music Festival in Scranton. Anastasio became interested in being a part of Rykman’s first album, offering the use of his iconic Vermont studio “The Barn.”

When I first heard the early demos, the first thing I said was more Karina… Turn up the bass, sing more, and step out. What makes me most happy about the finished album now is that to my ears, it sounds like Karina unapologetically. It has her nature. It has her incredible joyous outlook that I know is real because I saw it in her when she was a kid.
Trey Anastasio

Photo Credit: Jesse Faatz

JOYRIDE was written and recorded with Rykyman’s childhood friend, producer Gabe Monro. Trey Anastasio’s guitar appears on five of the album’s nine tracks. Legendary mixer Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Swans, Ramones) also helped to create the project.

“You only get to make your first album once,” she adds, “and I couldn’t be prouder of what we created with this one. It’s a moment in time – the first of what I hope to be a lifetime of making records and touring behind them.

JOYRIDE pre-order can be found here.

June 13, 2023
A Wonderful Weekend of moe. at the Palace Theatre

For the first time since 2018, moe. returned to the Palace Theatre stage in Albany for a pair of shows with new band member Nate Wilson on keys. The shows were marked by a proclamation earlier that day from Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan to rename part of North Pearl Street as moe.street.

photo by Jarron Childs

photo by Jarron Childs

photo by Jarron Childs

While moe. did play a live-streamed show from the Palace Theatre lobby in 2020, the return to the stage was marked by welcoming back Chuck Garvey for his sixth and seventh shows back with moe., following recovery from a stroke. This was also the first time moe. fans in Albany would be seeing a sextet, as Nate Wilson has officially joined the band on keys, finding a natural fit next to guitarist Al Schnier, as the tones of these two would add layers to classic and fresh moe. tunes alike.

Friday night was marked by a proclamation amending moe.day (February 24) to be moe.weekend, read from the stage by City of Albany Treasurer, Darius Shanifar (filling in for Mayor Sheehan). With that, Shanifar introduced six guys named moe., as the band made their way onto the stage and began the run with an extended “Billy Goat,” which segued into “Bearsong” after much hinting from percussionist Jim Loughlin via his vibraphone. The underrated “Crushing” surged forth next and made way for “Blue Jeans Pizza,” a great song made even greater with the inclusion of Wilson on keys. Following “ATL” and “Don’t Wanna Be”, Suke Cerulo, who filled in on guitar during Garvey’s absense, joined for “McBain”, a song Cerulo has become quite familiar with, leading to a psychedelic jam among the seven musicians on stage.

Set 2 opened with the rarely played Tin Cans and Car Tires tune “Again and Again,” only having been played twice previously in the last decade. Another bust out followed in “Faker”, not played since 12/30/2018. “The Road” held its own with Wilson adding additional layers, while “Water” marked the first time it was played since Chuck returned last month in Huntington. To close out the set, back to back 16-minute versions of “Downward Facing Dog” and “The Pit” were the icing on the cake, with “The Pit” accented by Wilson’s use of flute and the band coming out strong as ever for a fan favorite show stopper.

An encore of “Letter Home” and “Captain America” bid the crowd a good night, as the kids kept dancing long after the show. Options afterward were plentiful, with fans opting for Cerulo at Empire Underground, Hilltop at Parish Public House, or for the adventurous, a Shrek Rave at Empire Live.

Saturday proved to be just as hot inside despite wintery weather outside. Karina Rykman wowed the audience as the opener, showing off her power-trio’s sound and rock-star vibe that is as infectious as her inspired playing. Rykman would come up later in the evening for the guest-friendly “Meat” that saw her trade bass licks with Rob Derhak over the course of an 11 minute jam session.

moe. would open their set with a slow-building “Lazarus,” followed by “Seat of My Pants.” Nate Wilson continued to make his presence known in the extended “Sensory Deprevation Bank” followed by the newer “Jazz Cigarette.” Conehead Buddha’s Shannon Lynch joined the band for “Happy Hour Hero,” taking centerstage for a solo, reuniting musicians who have been playing together in the Albany scene for more than 30 years.

A four song, hour-long second set was as tight on paper as the band is in person – from the first notes of “Waiting for the Punchline,” through the always enjoyable “Kyle’s Song,” the dark grooves of “Puebla” and ol’ reliable “Rebubula.” To wrap things up, “Plane Crash” took the encore slot, before fans rolled out onto moe.street following two memorable and sentimental moe shows at the Palace Theatre.

moe. – Palace Theatre, Albany – Friday February 24

Set 1: Billy Goat -> Bearsong, Crushing, Blue Jeans Pizza, ATL, Don’t Wanna Be -> McBain*
Set 2: Again and Again^, Faker -> The Road, Water#, Downward Facing Dog -> The Pit
Encore: Letter Home, Captain America
* with Suke Cerulo of Schleigho on guitar
^ LTP 12/30/2018
# Not played since before Chuck’s break

moe. – Palace Theatre, Albany – Saturday, February 25

Set 1: Lazarus, Seat Of My Pants > Sensory Deprivation Bank, Jazz Cigarette, Happy Hour Hero*, Meat^
Set 2: Waiting for the Punchline, Kyle’s Song -> Puebla -> Rebubula
Encore: Plane Crash
* with Shannon Lynch of Conehead Buddha on saxophone
^ with Karina Rykman joining on bass. Karina and Rob traded licks during the jam.

Photo gallery by Conor McMahon

February 27, 2023
First Show: The Disco Biscuits and Karina Rykman at Town Ballroom in Buffalo

On Thursday, January 19, The Disco Biscuits and Karina Rykman took over the Town Ballroom in Buffalo for nearly five hours of incredible and energetic music.

I have been eagerly awaiting my first opportunity to see both acts and was incredibly excited when Karina was added to the bill at the Buffalo Biscuits show.

photo by Brian Ferguson

Taking the stage at 7:30 and performing an unrelenting 45-minute set, Rykman filled the room with her deep and punchy bass tone as drummer Chris Corsico and guitarist Adam November backed her up with tight beats and screaming leads. November in particular has a pedalboard capable of making crazy sounds as he tweaked knobs like a mad scientist throughout their set.

Rykman also demonstrated her contagious and joyous energy as she bounced around the stage while shredding. Standout tracks included the unreleased “Joyride” and the upbeat and driving “City Kids.” Do NOT miss her shows if she plays in your area!

When the lights dropped in Buffalo for the first set of the Disco Biscuits and the band jumped into “Bazaar Escape,” I was immediately struck by how cleanly they executed the wild and proggy twists and turns of the song. Very much a newcomer to the band’s material, I had naturally assumed that there were many simpler song structures to act as launchpads for long and dance-y jams, so “Bazaar” was a pleasant surprise as its arpeggios bounced around the packed venue.

photo by Brian Ferguson

Moving into “The Bridge” next, the music became incredibly euphoric as guitarist Jon “Barber” Gutwillig’s leads reached for the sky. The fabled “untz” began to set in as the Biscuits smashed through an inverted “Home Again” into “The Wormhole.”

As a keyboardist, I am naturally very curious and dialed in to Aron Magner on his side of the stage as he bounced from one board to another, looping on the fly and generally having a ball.

“Spacebirdmatingcall” continued the strong untz jamming and seemed to be closing the set, but bassist Marc Brownstein called for another tune as Gutwillig was in the process of removing his guitar. The funky “Morph Dusseldorf” closed out the set with lots of wah guitar and an anchoring beat from drummer Allen Aucoin.

The energy in the Town Ballroom did not abate in the slightest during setbreak, and the band was met with raucous cheers as they took the stage for the second set. “Jigsaw Earth” was a huge Magner moment as he continued to loop sounds and show off his dexterity on the keys. Aucoin began laying into a propulsive four-on-the-floor dance beat that would dominate the unrelenting and nonstop second set as the Biscuits drove into “Anthem.”

While Brownstein had been sticking out to me all night, this was the moment where he truly blew my mind. While I had previously had a difficult time zeroing in on his playing in the videos I had watched of the Biscuits online, his tone carried through loud and clear last night, locking in with Aucoin to form an incredible rhythm section and groove throughout the second set.

photo by Brian Ferguson

“Times Square” was tapped next and continued to amp up the crowd even more as smiles on band and audience alike grew wider. Moving into “I-Man,” a clear crowd favourite that elicited loud and energetic singing from those in attendance, Gutwillig shredded the song to pieces as the catchy chorus came around again.

Dipping into an inverted “Naeba” before finishing the set with “I-Man,” the Biscuits left a thoroughly torched Buffalo venue with a concise “Helicopters” encore, once again bringing energy to new heights.

My first Disco Biscuits experience was an absolutely incredible night – two sets of nonstop dance party and energy from a very talented band. I look forward to seeing them again soon!

Biscuits tour continues tonight with a two-night stand at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA. Webcasts are available via Couchtour.TV. Karina Rykman joins them again next week for a two nights at Higher Ground in Burlington. Don’t miss it!

This review was initially featured on Storm Sound

Setlist via Discobiscuits.net

Disco Biscuits – The Town Ballroom, Buffalo – Thursday, January 19, 2023

Set 1: Bazaar Escape, The Bridge > Home Again^ > The Wormhole > Spacebirdmatingcall, Morph Dusseldorf
Set 2: Jigsaw Earth > Anthem > Times Square > I-Man > Naeba* > I-Man
Encore: Helicopters

^ first time inverted
* inverted

Photos by Brian Ferguson

January 21, 2023