You may know Kat Wright from her big bombastic soul band, which numbered seven to nine members. But in a carryover from the pandemic, when she and a couple of bandmates took to playing in a smaller and “safer” format, they have been playing out as just a trio. Wright, joined by bassist Josh Weinstein and guitarist Bob Wagner, blew through from Vermont to Rochester to play an Honest Folk show at Good Luck on October 8.
A native of Penfield, Kat Wright was coming home again after attending, and playing at, her brother’s wedding just a few weeks prior. But this was her first headlining show in her hometown since before the pandemic, only returning for opening spots for the Wood Brothers just before the world shut down and for Ryan Montbleau Band this past summer.
On a cold and rainy Sunday, the crowd packed into the intimate space at Good Luck. Settled on the stage set between two brick walls that acted as a hearth, the band was like a glimmering flame, keeping the room cozy and warm.
The kindling was sparked with a beautiful cover of CSN’s “You Don’t Have to Cry” that allowed the band to immediately showcase its wonderful three-part harmonies. Then it was on to the original “You Have Problems,” a swinging number about that special someone who bugs you. They stoked the fire, keeping the flames alive and burning, with a mix of old tunes, new tunes from a forthcoming album, and a solid bundle of covers.
The originals rarely carried vestiges from any possible big band arrangement, sounding comfortable wearing the clothing of a three-piece folk band. When given the opportunity, Wagner’s guitar worked in some brilliant lines, while Weinstein held steady and eternally interesting grooves. Wright’s powerful voice could easily carry the music on its own, but when joined by her band mates sparks really flew. One of the new ones, “Mind Games” was described as their version of “Jolene.”
They also sprinkled in plenty of tunes that weren’t just referential to others’ music, but actual covers. Though on the whole, their covers were more like interpretations, throwing their own spin on the material. Recognizing a subtle hint of the Everly Brothers’ “Cathy’s Clown” in Harry Nillson’s “Walk Right Back,” they more overtly mashed the two together, including an ever so slight nod also to Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon,” resulting in what they referred to as a musical turducken.
The second set started up with their take on Big Brother and the Holding Company’s “Piece of My Heart,” reworking it so it sounded more like a Paul Simon song. In the encore they took another instantly recognizable song, Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” and again simmered it down to bare bones folk song, keeping the crow completely rapt. Sometimes a crowd is engaged by singing along at the top of their lungs. Here, though most everyone knew all of the words, the audience sat agape and silent. As the last echoes of sound lifted, the flame of a Sunday night fire turned to smoke and memories.
Well, summer has come and it has gone. The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are getting cooler, but rest assured, the music scene in Syracuse is only beginning to heat up. Here are five can’t-miss shows in Syracuse in September.
Buffalo native Chelsea O’Donnell takes the stage at Funk ’n Waffles under her touring moniker Stress Dolls on Saturday, September 2. The alt/pop/rock artist has drawn comparisons to artists such as Lzzy Hale, Courtney Love, Fiona Apple, with one reviewer describing her sound as “Joni Mitchell meets Nirvana.. Avril Lavigne and Foo Fighters in a blender.” O’Donnell has recently released the single “Body,” which is available on all streaming music platforms.
New Jersey hardcore rockers Thursday make their long awaited return to Central New York with a performance at Song & Dance on September 7. The band have close ties to Central New York, having performed at the area’s famous Hellfest music festival in 2001 and 2003. The band are touring in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their album War All the Time. Gel, Pinkshift, and Vinnie Caruana open the show.
Rochester born singer-songwriter Kat Wright returns to Syracuse with a set at the intimate 443 Social Club on September 10. Wright, with her dynamic vocal range powerful stage presence, which she blends between styles of soul and rock ’n roll, has drawn comparisons to performers such as Amy Winehouse and Bonnie Raitt. She boasts an impressive touring resume, proving previous support to acts such as Grace Potter, Kacey Musgrave, and the Wood Brothers, and has also preformed at the Syracuse Jazz Festival, and the Peach Music Festival (Scranton, PA).
Take a short drive down Interstate 81 to Lafayette and you will find the enchanted concert grounds of Wonderland Forest. These picturesque grounds will be the home of jam-rock band Twiddle and their two day music festival, Tumble Down. The line up boasts an impressive undercard, with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Andy Frisco + the U.N., Dopapod, Mihali, The Breakfast, Baked Shrimp, and Mike Powell also performing. Twiddle will perform four sets over the two nights.
Weekend tickets start at $150 with camping and VIP packages available
Celtic punk rockers Dropkick Murphys return to Syracuse for a set at the Oncenter War Memorial on September 30. Known for their high energy live performances, the band have amassed a large and passionate following. They have an impressive 12 studio albums, and are currently touring in support of their 2023 release Okemah Rising. The Interrupters and Jesse Ahern open the show.
Ballard Park in Westport will once again host a free, seven-week live music concert series. Performances will take place on Thursdays at 7PM, running from July 6 to August 17, 2023. This year’s lineup features everything from Beatles tribute bands to elite jazz musicians.
Ballard Park is perched atop a grassy hillside overlooking Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains of Vermont. This year, the park will also be home to the Westport-Wadhams Day concert on July 1.
Ballard Park was once the location of The Westport Inn, an illustrious grand hotel located in the heart of the Adirondacks. After the 1967 demolition of the building, Anne Ballard (“Petey”) Cerf, a long-time summer resident purchased the property. In 1989 she established Ballard Park in honor of her parents.
The park is open to the public and has both lake and beach access. In addition to the summer concert series, Ballard Park offers sledding and ice skating in the winter.
Organizers recommend that visitors bring blankets and low chairs. In the case of rain the concerts will switch over to the Whallonsburg Grange Hall. More information and updates can be found here.
Ballard Park Summer Concert Series lineup
July 1- STUDIO TWO, an early Beatles tribute band.
July 6- KAT WRIGHT, Vermont’s renowned blues and soul star.
July 13- MYRA FLYNN, part of the “Roar of the Queen! Tour”, Flynn arrives to Ballard Park after headlining Burlington’s Discover Jazz festival.
July 20- NICHOLAS EDWARD WILLIAMS, an American troubadour dedicated to preserving the songs and styles that shaped the United States .
July 27- RAY VEGA, Vermont’s master of Jazz and a University Scholar at UVM
August 3- MEADOWMOUNT SCHOOL OF MUSIC, Petey Cerf Memorial Concert— strings students from Westport’s renowned summer camp.
August 10- PLOUGHMAN’S LUNCH, North Country musicians known for bluegrass, swing and covers.
August 17- RYAN CLARK, from his hometown of Lake George to new home in Nashville, Ryan has received national acclaim for his talent and voice.
As the legend of Lark Hall continues to grow, the Ryan Montbleau performance from April 20 will be one of the ones they talk about for years to come. An instant classic that showcased everything from rock and blues to funk and folk, eloquent and meaningful storytelling, full band collaborations, over the top guitar solos and even a bit of Marty McFly-type showmanship. Along with a well-received set by the sultry and dynamic female folk singer Kat Wright that included a cover of Bob Marley’s classic song “Burnin’ and Lootin’, being in the Albany room on this night felt like being home for the holidaze.
Fans “packed” into Lark Hall to celebrate 4/20 with Ryan Montbleau
Until recently though, home for Ryan Montbleau has been on the road. After spending more than two decades on tour living out of a suitcase, the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter has finally settled down and purchased property in Burlington, Vermont. Only a short drive to the Albany area, Montbleau has become a regular fixture in the Capital Region music scene. Often playing in Saratoga Springs at venues like Caffe Lena and Putnum Place, over the years Montbleau has shared the stage with everyone from the Tedeski Trucks Band and Mavis Staples, to the Wood Brother and Goose. This night, however, would be his Lark Hall debut.
Here comes the Pain: Ryan Montbleau had the crowd feeling fine while performing “Just Enough Pain”on 4/20
Montbleau, who was dressed in a Todd Snider T-shirt and would perform the majority of the show with a spliff safely tucked behind his ear, addressed the doobious date by saying, “I feel like 4:20 doesn’t mean as much as it used to. These days you can just go down the street and get some gummies and a couple pre-rolls. How rebellious is that?” Opening up with “Just Enough Pain” and passionately singing as if it were the encore, Ryan and the band were dialed in from the start. Repeating the chorus of “I guess I’m fine” until the whole room was saying it too, it was the kind of cathartic start to a show that rarely comes around. The kind that let you know that no matter what other 4/20 shenanigans were happening simultaneously elsewhere, you were exactly where you needed to be and you had picked wisely.
When I Misbehave: Ryan Montbleau rolled into Lark Hall for the first time on 4/20/2023
Playing most of his recently released studio album, 2023’s Wood, Fire, Water, and Air, Ryan Montbleau’s band currently consists of Ex-Turkuaz/current Cool Cool Cool members Craig Brodhead on guitar and Michelangelo Carubba on drums, Paul Philippone from West End Blend on keys, and Michael Friedman from The Slip on bass. Montbleau has gone on record calling them his best band yet, and after working their way through songs like “Ankles,” and fan favorite “75 and Sunny” it’s easy to why. The band would have fans chanting along again on “Yeah Man,” before ripping into the aptly appropriate 4/20 rocker “Sweet, Nice ‘n’ High.” Brodhead’s incredible tone control sounded gorgeous in this room and on this song in particular. You can check out fan shot video it below:
Sweet: Watch fan shot footage of “Sweet, Nice ‘n’ High” from Lark Hall on 4/20
Cooling things off a bit, a stripped down and somber rendition of “Never Gonna Be” gave the audience some time to reflect, while “Long for You Again” explored similar sentiments, but with a notably more up-tempo swing. Ryan would abort the intro of “Til the End of Our Days,” laughing to himself that it sounded too much like the theme song from the 1993 film Free Willy. Then in a moment of priceless crowd participation, fans of the Michael Jackson song briefly started singing the chorus of “Will You Be There.” Things got more serious when Montbleau dusted off a pair of deep-thinkers from 2017’s I was Just Leaving, “Time and Time Again” and the album’s title track.
With a little Help From Friends: The Kat Wright Band performing with Ryan Montbleau on 4/20/23
Then for a special treat, members of the Kat Wright Band would join in on the festivities, lending backing vocals on “When I Misbehave” and on one of the more popular songs of the night, “Bright Side.” Earlier in the evening, Wright had let her feelings about the venue be known, commenting how special this room felt to her. Saying, “Long live Lark Hall. Such a beautiful venue. It feels like slipping into a dream. Back to a time when people cared about storytelling and being together and listening to the music and it’s just so beautiful. I hope it stays open forever.” The heartfelt sentiment was collectively felt by all. The energy level would raise even higher when the band bounced back with a full-on funk attack during “Dead Set,” where chairmen Paul Philippone shinned particularly bright. “Songbird” took on strong Rastafarian vibes, only to be outdone by the most bombastic cover choice of the night in Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me.”
This Must Be the Place: The Lark Hall kids loved it when Montbleau channeled his inner Marty McFly on 4/20/23
Putting down his guitar and working both sides of the stage while rapping the lyrics to the turn-of-the-century mega hit, the charismatic Montbleau drove the ladies in the crowd absolutely wild here. Well, “Seeing is believing so you better change your specs.” That’s what fans were thinking during the follow-up cover choice of Talking Heads “This Must Be the Place” when both Montbleau and Brodhead were having so much fun together, they briefly ended up playing guitars while laying on their backs ala Marty McFly in Back to the Future. Considering Lark Hall’s storied Chuck Berry history, it somehow seemed to make sense.
Floored: Guitarist Craig Brodhead laid down a smoking solo during “Naïve Melody” at Lark Hall on 4/20/23
After finding their feet again, the band would go into the song “Affected,” which Montbleau helped write with Maddy O’neal and appears on the 2022 album Ricochet. The boogie down continued with a rippin’ version of “Honeymoon Eyes” and then more full audience participation on “I Can’t Wait,” which brought the main portion of the show to a close and left the packed house hollering for more.
Watch fan shot footage of Ryan Montbleau’s final song at Lark Hall on 4/20
After soaking in the cheers for a few moments, the band would emerge from the curtains with one more heartfelt ballad from Wood, Fire, Water, and Air called “Outside Looking In.” Finally, they would send the audience home on a high note with a smoking rendition of “Pacing Like Prince.”
Just an incredible, fun, and well-rounded performance from start to finish. Complete with a carefully crafted, career spanning setlist, an absolutely badass backing band, guest sit-ins, and his innate ability to develop a wonderfully organic rapport with his audience, it would seem that Ryan Montbleau made the most of his Lark Hall 4:20 debut and may have found a new home away from home in the process. Carving his name into the venue’s growing legend, it genuinely feels like something special happens every time you step foot into Albany’s newest concert spot. If you’re looking for great music, great vibes and a great time, this must be the place indeed-e.
Fans “packed” into Lark Hall on 4/20
Ryan Montbleau | 4/20/2023 | Lark Hall | Albany, NY
Setlist: Just Enough Pain, Ankles, Yeah Man, Sweet, Sweet, Nice ‘n’ High, After Dark, 76 & Sunny, Never Gonna Be, Long For You Again, ‘Til The End of Our Days, Time and Again, I Was Just Leaving, When I Misbehave, Brightside, Dead Set, Songbird, It Wasn’t Me*, This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) **, Affected, Honeymoon Eyes, I Can’t Wait
Encore: Outside Looking In, Pacing Like Prince
*Shaggy cover
**Talking Heads cover
Kat Wright | 4/20/2023 | Lark Hall | Albany, NY
Setlist: Can’t Explain, Problems, Lovers & Tides/All About You, Try, Take Me With You, Rhonda, Burnin’ and Lootin’, I’ve Been Down
