NYS Music 2023

Tag: Lincoln Hill Farms

  • Toad The Wet Sprocket has Good Intentions for Canandaigua

    Back in the day when Drakkar was the go-to scent for young men and the smell of clove cigarettes was the norm, Toad the Wet Sprocket was becoming a household name. On June 22, they brought their sounds to Lincoln Hill Farms, a small rustic backwoods venue just outside of Canandaigua.

    Opening up for TTWS was Marcy Playground. Back in 1996, Marcy Playground was riding the merry-go-round waiting for a big break. They were awarded that break when they were invited to tour with Toad. 27 years later, here they are on tour together again.

    Marcy Playground is fronted by John Wozniak, Shlomi Lavie on drums, and Dylan Keefe on bass. On this night, Keefe could not make the trip so Scot Alexander of Dishwalla filled in and crushed it as if he were in the band for years. Of course the fans knew every word to every song and came close to overpowering Wozniak’s voice on Sex And Candy.

    Setlist for Marcy Playground: Poppies, Pigeon Farm, Rock and Roll Heroes, Special, Saint Joe on the School Bus, Rebel Sodville, A Cloak of Elvenkind, Punk Rock Superstar, Wave Motion Gun, Sherry Fraser, Deadly Handsome Man, Sex and Candy, Star Baby

    Formed in the late 80s, Toad the Wet Sprocket is named after a Monty Python skit when the band needed a name so they could enter a talent contest. Although the band called it temporary and a joke, the name has stuck.

    Lead singer Glen Phillips smooth voice can transition into any style flawlessly, so it makes sense to see his style described as folky and alt-pop. Songs like “Good Intentions” and “All I Want” are great examples of both pop and alternative sounds, while a song like “I Will Not Take These Things for Granted” yields a more folk sound.

    Another folk style song from Phillips was “Transient Whales,” which he performed acoustically using a 50s style microphone to enhance the sound. Trucking along flawlessly, he forgot some lyrics but thanks to fan in the front row, he was able to get back on track and finish it out.

    Minus the aforementioned scents and a parking lot of full of Ford Tempos and Chevy Cavaliers, Toad took fans back to the 90s with hits such as “Walk on The Ocean,” “All I Want,” and “Good Intentions.” The respectable crowd of near middle-aged parents danced around like they were still in high school partying at the Saturday night bonfires.

    While they have not been producing new music on regular basis, the band released Starting Now in August of 2021 the title track and “Old Habits Die Hard” released in September and October of same year. Keep up to date with Toad the Wet Sprocket here.

    Setlist: Windmills, Come Down, California Wasted, Crowning, Hold On, Nanci, Whatever I Fear, All I Want, Transient Whales, Good Intentions, Closer to Fine (Indigo Girls), The Moment, Dam Would Break, Fly From Heavan, Pray Your Gods, Nightingale Song, Crazy Life, Something’s Always Wrong, Walk On The Ocean, Fall Down, I Will Not Take These Things For Granted

  • 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.