It’s been just over two weeks since Phish’s Mondegreen music festival in Delaware, the band’s 11th in their more than 40 year career, and a reunion of fans as the band’s 2024 summer tour wound down.
Phish Mondegreen photo by Filip Zalewski
Spread out widely across the grounds of The Woodlands and Dover Motor Speedway, fans found themselves walking miles at a time to make it into the festival. And that’s before you’re dancing and driving your step count up and up. If you walked around 30 miles in those four days, you seem to fall in the median of the 40,000 attendees, based on anecdotal data.
Amid the huge jams and festival Phish that was heard over eight sets, there were plenty of non-musical highlights as well, particularly the art installations that peppered the festival area.
Over four days time, you’d have had the opportunity to see Luke Jerramâs Museum Of The Moon, where a 21-foot recreation of the Moon was suspended in mid-air, shining brightly through the trees at night. Just past the security checkpoint, you could see Lars Fiskâs Dodge Ball (a dodge caravan reimagined in the shape of a ball) and on the far side of the concert field, Henk Hofstraâs Eggcident installation.
The Cerealist Bowl photo by Taylor Weinberg
There was the parallel reality of Nova Heat, Olivier Grossetête’s Cardboard City Hall (which had to be dismantled a day early on Saturday, due to expected high winds) and Leigh Fordham Hall, which doubled as a game show stage before and after Phish each day.
Standing out as the most memorable and unique was The Cerealist Bowl, which was a speakeasy that required a password, featuring costumed servers and strange performance art, uniquely, a man who sat in front of a cotton candy machine, slowly covered in stringy pink sugar fibers.
Heliosphere photo by Brian Ferguson
Centered in the festival field was The Heliosphere, a beacon of light that bumped late-night music post-Phish, and served as a way to find yourself in these expansive grounds, making the immense festival feel much smaller, manageable even.
There were of course some downsides, including fan complaints during and after the festival citing ADA shuttle issues and accommodations. Add in communication issues between production team and staff in the campgrounds (also with shuttles) and there were some things that could have been done better. But nothing on the music or art end was lacking at any point of the weekend.
Museum Of The Moon photo by Derek Java
Even though the threat of severe weather on the final day led to a single afternoon set of Phish instead of two evening sets, fans took this in stride, rejoiced at the idea of afternoon Phish at a festival (something scrapped for Mondegreen, but a staple of all 3.0 fests, Magnaball, Superball and Fest 8.
While some who lived proximate to Delaware and were home Sunday night, others had time to rest before they ventured home, as planned, on Monday. For a four day run, the idea of music ending a little earlier was welcome to some older fans, allowing time to soak in these few days of Phish before heading back to civilization.
While the severe weather never materialized, the band made a smart call to plan for safety, to ensure the music was not impacted, and informed fans with plenty of advance notice, a notification going out on the Mondegreen app around 5pm on Saturday evening.
Overall, the festival was a huge success by all standards, with fans left wondering how long until they return to Dover for Phish Festival #12.
Below, view photos from Phish’s Mondegreen via four NYS Music photographers, each with a different style and eye for the band over the four day music festival.
As Noah Lehrman and FlowPoetry completed the “Beat of My Voice” US Summer Tour, the duo released live performance videos from their July 31 late night show at Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side of Manhattan giving fans a look into the intimate show.
Live versions of songs “Tonight,” “Holy Man” and “DripStuck” from the Rockwood performance are now out. The videos give fans a special look at the tour featuring photos taken by Noah and photographer Ron Adelberg on the road. The videos tease their live album that consists of the first three New York performances on the tour.
FlowPoetry, also known as Adam Pergament, is a spoken word artist from Madison, WI. On tour with NYC-based drummer Noah Lehrman, the pair performed improvisational shows that incorporated genres ranging from jazz to EDM.
The tour took them from the Midwest to the East Coast. It began in Madison, WI at the new venue Gamma Ray on July 24. After shows in Ohio, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts, the pair performed at the Rockwood Music Hall on July 31 where these live tracks took place to give an insider look at the experience. From there they returned to Pennsylvania and then back to New York again, performing at Olives in Nyack and at Silvana in Harlem. The tour concluded on August 5 at the 8 x 10 Club in Baltimore, MD.
Noah will be back for solo performances at the 10th Anniversary Froggy Daze Music Festival in Narrowsburg, NY from Thursday, September 5 to Sunday, September 8.
Nigerian star Asake roared into New York Friday night for his debut at Madison Square Garden with a show in support of third and latest album, “Lungu Boy.” Asake is promoting his third album, titled Lungu Boy which is out now via EMPIRE/YBNL Nation and features appearances from Central Cee, Ludmilla, Stormzy, Travis Scott, and Wizkid.
In the lead-up to the release of ‘Lungu Boy,’ a lot of the chatter around the project hinted at Asake introducing the world to Lagos Island and the quirks of its subculture, in order to contextualize his stunning rise and his stage design and presence did just that. The evening started with a narrating explaining the experience that the crowd was going to set on with none other than Asake himself. The show opened in spectacular fashion as Asake ascended from beneath the depths of Madison Square Garden. The performance had everything from pyrotechnics to choreographed dances and visual effects.
His set Friday night at New York’s Mecca, Madison Square Garden — his debut MSG performance— saw him backed by a full band, street dancers, DJ and MC, including horns, to bring his jazz-influenced sound into a live setting. Clad in between two outfits show off his unique wardrobe style, he performed cuts from the entire album such as “Active” featuring Travis Scott, “Wave” featuring Central Cee, “Skating” which saw an elaborate display of skating and BMX biking tricks and more from the album.
In addition to performing songs from his new album on the Lungu Boy tour, Asake also performs tracks from his 2022 studio debut, Mr. Money With The Vibe(“Terminator,” “Peace Be Unto You,” “Muse,” “Joha,” “Sungba”), and its 2023 follow-up Work Of Art (“Amapiano,” “Basquiat,” “Lonely At The Top,” “Remember” and “2:30”).
In the end, it was hard for the crowd to fathom the electric show ending and even harder for Asake himself.
In true Asake fashion, he left the New York crowd with a night that they will never forget, the Lungu Boy from Lagos Island.
Women’s Day at the New York State Fair had a local flair this year, as Rochester native Danielle Ponder performed on the Chevy Court Stage. Ponder had been scheduled to perform at the fair last year, however illness forced a cancellation.
Few in the music industry have the inspirational story Danielle Ponder has. Formerly an attorney with the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office, Ponder quit her position one week sky of turning 40 years old to pursue a career in music, full time. The soul/R&B singer-songwriter has toured with George Clinton, Leon Bridges, and Marcus Mumford, performed on numerous late night television programs, and even performed at the historic Newport Folk Festival in 2023. She is currently touring in support of her 2023 release, Some Of Us Are Brave.
It was hard not to notice the grin on Danielle Ponder’s face as she took the stage at Chevy Court on Wednesday at the New York State Fair. Ponder was greeted with a roar from the crowd, many of whom had made the trek from nearby Rochester for the performance. Ponder launched into “Some Of Us Are Brave” and quickly showcased her talents to those unfamiliar with her music. Ponder’s vocals soared through out the fairgrounds, as she displayed her dynamic vocal range.
Between songs, Ponder joked with the audience regarding the serious nature of her music. “Here comes another break up song”, she joked. She told the tale of her inspirational journey to performing music full time, adding “Begin to walk and the path will appear”. And she paid homage to the local venues who supported her rise to stardum, including Funk & Waffles and The Westcott Theater.
Ponder would close the sixty minute set with a stunning rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep”. Ponder’s vocals soared through out the fairgrounds one last time, as she delivered her on take on the classic track.
The New York State Fair continues through Monday. See the remainder of the concert schedule here.
On Thursday, August 29, Brooklyn fans of the psychedelic rock genre were treated to a priceless exhibition. The heat was strong, but so was the enthusiasm of the evenings attendees. Two trio bands from different corners of the world – Balthvs and Free Whenever – were paired together so remarkably that it made one think to compliment whomever was responsible for the matter.
Free Whenever, a Brooklyn based psychedelic rock band, took the stage at 8pm sharp to a size-able crowd, nothing to sneeze at for an opening act on a Wednesday evening. The band consists of Neil Guleria on Guitar, Trevor LaVecchia on Bass, and Brendan Steuart on drums. This is not the first time the trio finds themselves opening for a big name in Brooklyn, having opened for Karina Rykman at Babies All Right late last year.
The chemistry between the gentleman is palpable both in the auditory and visual sense, and it pays off in a huge way. Playing through their entire new self-titled album, they ventured into both old and new songs that demonstrate the essence of their signature sound of psychedelic groove music. Notable highlights were “Camino“, “Sicily“, and “Jonas the Shaman” a song whom they claimed was based off the very man running their merch table in the back. With the unreleased track, “Horizons”, they went out with a thunderous hurrah, the palate was cleansed, and the stage was set.
Balthvs, a psychedelic funk triad from Columbia, graced the stage just after 9pm. Their stop on this leg of their tour not only marks their first performance in New York, but the first time the group has been on the east coast entirely. Touring to promote their new album, “Harvest“, the band consists of Johanna Mercuriana on Bass/Vocals, Santiago Lizano on Drums/Vocals, and Balthazar Aguirre on Guitar/Vocals. Balthvs, with the v pronounced like a u, made their New York debut quite memorable, guiding the evening through a lens the likes of which are quite rare.
The band boasts an impressive catalog of music for just having officially formed less than 5 years ago. 3 full length albums under their belt and 40 singles, many of which have millions of streams. The crowd was fully behind the headliners as dancing was the assignment. Balthazar mentioned in between songs that they were dining at the venues restaurant before showtime, and he saw a “Joe Russos Almost Dead Burger”. Laughs emerged amongst the audience. “I dont know if we have any heads here..hope we dont screw this up!” which was followed by a truly wonderful rendition of Grateful Dead‘s, “Bird Song”, a first for them on this tour.
One could say that their set was a masterclass in defining the root definition of what modern psychedelic music is. A myriad of global influences and style, a kaleidoscope of sound. Funk, Disco, Middle Eastern, Cumbia, Rock and Roll and so much more. The evening concluded with a final encore, long lines at the merch stand could be found for both acts. Free Whenever continues to build momentum locally. Balthvs will go on to play Austin City Limits, and then abroad to Europe and The Middle East continuing support of their new album, Harvest.
Albany-raised pop-punk band State Champs put forth a new music video for their single, “Too Late to Say.” The release comes just after the band announced their fifth studio album, State Champs, to be released on November 8.
The track “Too Late to Say” showcases an unfamiliar sound to the group’s norm. One that displays a refreshing vulnerability for the band. It rings youthful and polished, but the track holds deeper meaning. “Too Late to Say” highlights the fear of losing yourself. The music video embodies this narrative as the band is seen performing in the back of a speeding truck. This scene is a metaphor for the fast-paced reality of life and its moments.
The music video is an intimate showcasing of the group’s inner fears, and concerns for their future, as well as reminiscing on fears of their past. Throughout the video you see the truck moving quickly down the road. This theme symbolizes the speed at which life may feel to pass as one ages.
“Too Late to Say” is a track off of State Champs’ upcoming 12-song, self-titled album, State Champs. The band is also set to tour across North America beginning November 8 alongside the release of the album. The band has become a major player in the pop-punk scene, championing the genre over the past decade.
For more information on State Champs upcoming releases, and to check out their new music video, click here.
The phrase “Creed is back” has dominated music news over the last ten months, as word of the band’s reunion broke last year. On Saturday, August 24, the multi-platinum rockers brought their Summer of ’99 Tour to the Broadview Stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. They were joined by old friends and previous tourmates 3 Doors Down and Finger 11 and were greeted with a sold-out crowd.
Creed rose to stardom in the late 90’s following the release of their debut album, My Own Prison. A prolific set at Woodstock ’99 turned the heads of many in the industry, who were seeking an alternative to the grunge scene. The band released their second album (and smash success) Human Clay soon after. The album’s anthemic singles “Higher” and “With Arms Wide Open” dominated radio, leading to the album being certified diamond status. Creed would go on to release one more album, Weathered (2001) before disbanding in 2004. They would reunite for one more album and almost two years of touring before again disbanding in 2012.
Throngs of rock fans descended upon SPAC early to catch opener Finger 11. The Canadian rockers were a fitting opener for the evening, and delivered a high energy thirty-minute set. The audience had their first of many sing-a-longs for the evening, belting the lyrics to the hit “One Thing” back at singer Scott Anderson.
Up next was 3 Doors Down, a band who rose to stardom soon after Creed. The band’s sixty minute set served as a reminder of the many radio successes the band has achieved over the years, as they performed tracks like “Loser”, “Here Without You”, “Away from the Sun”, as well as their biggest hits “Kryptonite” and “When I’m Gone”. Fans had filled the seated portion and lawn to capacity early on in the performance, and delivered powerful sing alongs to the tracks.
Excitement and energy was palpable by the time the house lights dimmed and the Creed logo shown on the video screens which decorated the back of the stage. A deafening roar greeted the band as they took the stage and opened with the 2001 hit “Bullets”. Singer Scott Stapp paced the stage ferociously as he delivered the spoken-word intro to the track, before a wall of flames erupted, and the band launched full force in to one of its heaviest songs. The band would work their way deeper into their catalog next, performing “Torn” and “Are You Ready”.
Early in the set it and through out the entire evening, it was apparent that the capacity crowd was not just there for trendy purposes. The crowd stood on their feet for the duration of the band’s 105 minute set, belting the lyrics to every track in deafening fashion. The crowd became even more frenzied when guitarist Mark Tremonti revealed he would give one of his guitars to the most passionate fan in attendance, a gesture which saw Tremonti and Stapp gift the guitar to a young child and her father on stage.
For the many in attendance, the set served as a trip down memory lane. Each song took listeners back in time to over 20 years ago, as the band performed a seemingly endless stream of hits, including “My Own Prison”, “What If”, “With Arms Wide Open”, and “My Sacrifice”. Between songs, Stapp spoke of a message of perseverance and overcoming the struggles and challenges faced each day (an achievement he himself can attest to) as well as the need to find unity and common ground in such uncertain times. No matter the struggles and uncertainties we face each day, one thing is for certain.
Thursday, August 22 was a night of neon shirts, glow sticks and necklaces, and spandex as New Kids on The Block put quite the performance for fans at Darien Lake Ampitheatre. Joining the adventure were Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff, no strangers to the Gen X fans in attendance.
Formed in 1984, the New Kids recently released their eighth album, Still Kids, and have been on tour in support of it.
Getting the party started was DJ Jazzy Jeff. Half of the famed duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, Jazzy Jeff scratched the records while his MC, Dayne Jordan, rocked the mic. Playing samples of classics like “O.P.P.”, “I’m a Believer”, and “Jump”, as well as theme songs from both Cheers and Super Mario Bros., this MC and DJ duo had the crowd of mostly middle-aged fans thinking they were still kids on the playground chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’ all cool. As his set ended, I am sure fans were anxious to see if would get tossed off the stage in the same manner Uncle Phil tossed him out of his house (he did not get tossed.)
Following the famed DJ, fans were treated to a former dancer/cheerleader/choreographer turned talent show judge. 62-year-old Paula Abdul took to the stage playing notable hits from the late 80s and early 90s.
Rising up through the stage, Abdul seems to be portraying herself struggling to write “Straight Up”, scribbling notes, before breaking into song as she is whisked off towards the front of the set. Using her amazing dancers as props, she continues on like it was 1988 all over again. This time around was little different, though, as she immediately takes quick breather, some water, and oxygen. “What?” She asks the surprised crowd. “This is 62, folks!” she quips.
Well known for her dancing and choreography, Abdul wastes no more time in continuing the production. “Vibeology” and “Cold Hearted” were performed flawlessly, as if they were making a new video to air during TRL.
With a hand-picked dance troupe surrounding her, Abdul prances around the stage, utilizing the various wardrobe racks for quick changes, many that were replicated from the heyday of music videos, including a bright yellow fedora style hat.
Only playing for about 35 minutes, the former celebrity crush of many 70s and 80s kids doesn’t forget those who have helped her along the way, including her video partner from “Opposites Attract”, MC Skat Kat, who joined her while she performed the song. For someone who recently came back from a 25-year hiatus from touring, Paula Abdul doesn’t seem to have lost her step.
Danny Wood, Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, and Joey McIntyre were brought together in the mid 80s outside of Boston, MA to create an up-and-coming boy band as counterpart to New Edition. While success wasn’t immediate, it did happen a few short years later after a Florida radio station put “Hangin Tough” on repeat due to listener requests. Fame was on the fast track, and teenage girls buying posters and cassettes, t-shirts and hoodies, and going to shows at malls around the country drove the train on that fast track.
Fast forward to August 22, as many of those young girls are now taking their kids to see the boys who they went nuts for in middle and high school. “Donnie! I love you!”, “Marry me, Joey!”, “Danny is so hot!” were common things heard while among the sparse crowd of around 8500.
Getting the night started with two tracks from their newest release, NKOTB came out with “Magic” and “Summer Love”. Just like 35 years ago, fans were screaming and jumping for joy as they music played. I don’t know if it was because of the songs or because they were seeing childhood idols for the first time. Either way, the crowd was boisterous and enthusiastic from start to finish. Rounding out the first 3 was “My Favorite Girl,” a song they first played in 1989.
It’s the most mature album we’ve ever made
Mark Wahlberg on Still Kids
Cruising through the 28-song set, Wahlberg and company give fans what they want with every song. Nostalgic lyrics, hip thrusts and gyrations that Elvis would be proud of, as well as a little bit where shirts came off and muscle flexes were the show. As teenage heartthrobs of yesteryear, the boys have seemed to take their rizz to new levels now that they are all grown up. I heard zero complaints from the crowd.
Having toured with NKOTB before, DJ Jazzy Jeff once again becomes part of the show, as he appears atop of the huge steps on stage. With a mashup of “Dance With You” and “Love Like This” getting started, each of the singers brings out a ‘selected’ fan and they continue to perform with the guests by their sides. A true moment to remember for these 5 lucky ladies.
Getting Jazzy Jeff more involved, Wahlberg, in roundabout way, demands to play “Summertime”, to wish there is no argument from the DJ. After playing a short clip, Wahlberg stops and asks a young lady on stage who claims to know the song word for word. The 16-year-old made the trip the mid Atlantic region for this show and proceeded to belt out a couple verses from the song made famous by DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince. With her mom by her side, the young lady was elated to get the opportunity. Wahlberg continues on to say that they continue to gain fans through generations by parents still listening to the music of their childhood.
With notoriously bad parking rituals at the venue, I left a little early but was able to hear clearly as “Step By Step” and “Hangin Tough” rounded out the night.
While I will admit the New Kids were never my cup of tea 35 years ago, and maybe aren’t now, but they can sure put on a show, I will never argue that at all. They had men and women up and waving their arms and singing word for word. They had teens singing along with their music, and that is exactly what they want. I watched a group of ladies, probably in late 40s, doing the dances they learned 35 years ago. They were all having an amazing time reliving some of their glory years. Life longs fans that pass on their music and memories.
Follow along with the Kids and check out their first new album in 11 years New Kids On The Block
New Kids on The Block setlist: Magic, Summer Love, My Favorite Girl, Cover Girl, Dirty Dancing, You Got It (The Right Stuff), Remix (I Like The), Block Party, Tonight, Where Do I Go From Here?, Treat Me Right, Call It What You Want, Popsicle/Games/This Is How We Do It/ Stay With Me Baby, Baby I Believe in You, Never Gonna Fall In Love Again/Paradise City, Happy Birthday, Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time), Please Don’t Go Girl, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Dance With You/Love Like This, Summertime (DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince), Kids, I’ll Be Loving You (Forever), Step by Step, Hanging Tough/We Will Rock You (Queen), These Are The Better Days
Paula Abdul Setlist (partial) Straight Up, Vibeology, Cold Hearted, Opposites Attract, Rush Rush, The Promise of a New Day/Knocked Out/Ain’t Never Gonna Give You Up, Forever Your Girl
DJ Jazzy Jeff setlist (partial): OPP (Naughty by Nature), Jump, Eye of The Tiger (Survivor), Jump Around (House of Pain), Let Me Clear My Throat (DJ Kool), Monkees, Cheers, The Fresh Prince theme, Super Mario Bros Rap, Uptown Funk, Living on a Prayer
Legendary blues rock guitarist and New York native, Joe Bonamassa brought his “Blues Deluxe Summer Tour” to the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. Most recently, Bonamassa released his newest effort Live At The Hollywood Bowl With Orchestraearlier this summer. Friday, Aug. 26 was the first of two back-to-back nights that Bonamassa rocked the “Original Rock Palace.”
With fans finding their seats in the nearly 100-year-old venue, Bonamassa and his band graced the stage and jumped right into “Hope You Realize” off of Bonamassa’s Blues Deluxe Vol. 2record. Since there was no opener this evening, it left the band with more time to play for their fans. From the moment the 11-piece band plugged their instruments in, their sheer power overtook the fans. For a blues band, they were certainly loud, but in the best way possible. The classic blues rock rang like joyful noise during the two-hour performance.
The official music video for Joe Bonamassa’s “I Want To Shout About It”
Bonamassa was firing on all cylinders. From the vocals to the guitar playing to his stage presence, he had it all. From the little he spoke during the night, he made up for it during his guitar masterclass. Watching Bonamassa play took the breath out of some fans’ bodies as they watched in awe. Some people in the crowd were recording on their phones while others air-guitared. Some simply watched stunned by the guitar hero in front of them.
Bonamassa’s backing band consisted of a horn section featuring saxophones and trumpets, three backing singers in addition to the drums, bass, rhythm guitar and keyboards. Within the band, the musicianship was top-notch. They all played their part and had a welcoming sound to them. At one point in the show, Bonamassa called his band family and that he respects them the most. To see a leader like Bonamassa praise the band behind him was amazing to see.
Within the band, the musicians as individuals were spectacular. The horn section added a uniqueness to the band while the backup singers added more beefiness to the vocals. At one point in the show, singer Jade MacRae had a solo during “Self Inflicted Wounds.” Listening to her vocals sent chills up and down the spines of the audience who cheered and applauded at the end.
For those who don’t know all the individual members of Bonamassa’s band, on percussion, to his left sat Reese Wynans. Wynans is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble. When he was introduced, the audience all rose to their feet to pay respects to the legendary keyboardist. But, throughout the night, Wynans was spinning back and forth on the keyboard giving the performance of a lifetime.
The show flowed effortlessly as each song slowly transitioned into the next. With each new song, came an even flashier guitar from Bonamassa who changed guitars for what seemed like every song. During a few songs, he would sport a beautiful Les Paul while other times it would be a classic telecaster or a gorgeous red Gibson. It did not matter which guitar was on stage because, by the end of the song, Bonamassa delivered an emotionally beautiful solo.
While the band was setting up for the next song, Bonamassa took the time to say a proper hello to the audience and clarify that he is a New York native which brought a cheer from the audience. Bonamassa then proceeded to thank everyone for showing up to a homecoming show. It seemed that once he acknowledged he was in front of his home state’s audience, then the show got even better. There was a sense of the audience also acknowledging that the legendary guitarist was playing in a legendary venue and it made for a spectacular rest of the evening.
The entire night of Joe Bonamassa and his band at the Capitol Theatre was one of the best ways to close out the summer concert season.
Of the seven shows that remain on Bonamassa’s schedule, four are in New York. On Saturday, Aug. 24 he’ll be right back at the Capitol Theatre which is followed by a date in Rochester on Aug. 25 and Albany on Aug. 27. If you are a fan of blues rock and roll then you have to go see Bonamassa. It was a magical night of nothing but essential blues music.
Joe Bonamassa Setlist: Hope You Realize, You Upset Me, 24 Hour Blues, Done Got Over It, Self Inflicted Wounds, I Want To Shout About It, Last Matador of Bayonne, Breaking Up Someone’s Home, Heart That Never Waits, Is It Safe To Go Home, See See Baby, Humming Bird, Hard But It’s Fair, Mountain Time
Opening day of the Great NYS Fair was full of nostaglia. Earlier in the day Chubby Checker took the stage and all the headliners from the I Love the 90’s tour paid homage to him as they each left the stage, Young Hump of Digital Underground said “I’m gonna have to call my grandparents”.
The lineup for the evening was Digital Underground, Color Me Badd & Tone Loc. The weather cleared just before start time and made for a wonderful evening of music.
Opening up the night was Digital Underground with their hit “Same Song” as they moved back and forth across the stage. As their set continued the remembered Shock-G and dedicated “Doowutchyalike” to him. They continued their set with “Kiss you Back” and then performed Tupac’s “I Get Around” and ending the night the “Humpty Dance” with Young Hump out doing his dance. It was a great set from Digital Underground that got the audience up on their feet to start out the evening.
Next up was Color Me Badd with the sole original member lead vocalist Mark Calderon. They started their set off with their hit “All 4 One” and got the audience singing with them. They continued on with “I Adore Mi Amor” and covered Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You”. As they continued on with their walk through their 90’s hit “I Wanna Sex You Up”. At times it was hard to hear Mark Calderon’s vocals during their 20 minute set. The audince enjoyed the performance and could be heard singing along toeir favorite old school jams.
Tone Loc came out with DJ M. Walk to perform his hit “Funky Cold Medina”, Tone in a throwback blue sweat suit with his gravelly voice that just brought the crowd to their feet. They continued on with a cover of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice” with Tone Loc doing a little crip walk. He continued on with a call and response of “Hey, What’s Up”. Giving the audience a little time he asked what decade the audience members were born, and the biggest responses were the 60’s & 70’s. He then called a group of ladies to come up on the stage as he closed out with “Wild Thing”. The ladies on stage danced and laughed as if they were back in the 90’s.
I love the 90s was a great night of nostalgic music at the NYS Fair that took you back in time. It almost was like we were back in the 90’s again.
Digital Underground Setlist: Same Song, Doowhatchya Like, Kiss You Back, I Get Around (TuPac), The Humpty Dance
Color Me Badd Setlist: All for Love, I Adore Mi Amor, Rock With You (Michael Jackson), I Wanna Sex You Up
Tone Loc Setlist: Funky Cold Medina, Gin & Juice (Snoop Dogg), Hey, What’s Up, Wild Thing
