On Sunday, May 5, Ty Segall played the Beachland Ballroom in support of his latest album, ThreeBells. Sharpie Smile opened and played a great set. Just as Ty and his band took the stage you could hear a crackling noise. It sounded like it could have come out of the speakers, like some weird wet sounding feedback.
After the puzzled crowd looked around for a bit, everyone noticed that a sizable chunk of plaster from the venues old ceiling had fallen off on one side, and a piece was still left hanging in the balance. A hero from the venue used a precariously large ladder to grab the piece while an amused Ty and his band watched from the stage. After our hero pulled the plaster down, the crowd roared in approval and the show was once again on it’s way. I will also say that this is the only concert I have ever been to where someone from the venue came out and warned us to wear ear plugs. With no pit and myself situated right in front of the stage and about six inches from a guitarist amp, my tinnitus was happy I didn’t forget mine.
A Ty Segall show is probably not ideal when the state of the ceiling is questionable, his new album was heavily featured and it is certainly hard and blistering. Though as far as I am aware, the rest of the night went by without incident, even if it seemed like Ty and his other guitarist Emmett Kelly were egging each other on to bring down more ceiling.
Ty played a great set, with all of the hard rock proggy guitar solos you could want. The band really plays off Ty’s energy and the packed Cleveland crowd at it up. Some people don’t like it when a band plays so many new songs versus more of the hits, but I think prefer it. It shows that the band is still pushing forward and if they are excited about what they are doing it almost always translates to a better show. Next Ty heads out west before heading to Europe.
Setlist: The Bell, Void, I Hear, Hi Dee Dee, Emotional Mugger/Leopard Priestess, The Crawler, My Head Explodes, Imaginary Person, Waxman, Love Fuzz, My Best Friend, My Room, Wait, Looking At You
On Monday, May 6 in Brooklyn, at the newly reopened Brooklyn Paramount, Canadian pop-punk sensation Sum 41 took the stage for their farewell performance in New York City.
Earlier this year the band announced it was calling it quits after 27 years, going out with a bang while celebrating their amazing career. The farewell tour coincides with the release of the new double album, Heaven :x: Hell, which came out March 29 of this year.
The bill included opening act Joey Valence & Brae from Pennsylvania, an unexpected hip-hop duo, followed by The Interrupters, who are Los Angeles based and delivered an igniting set complete with confetti in the end.
To close out the night, Sum 41 of course! Being my first time seeing them, I have to say they put on an epic show, amazing production, filled with pyrotechnics, lasers, a beautiful light show and multiple use of streamers and confetti. A larger-than-life spectacle in a standing-room-only, sold out venue, is definitely the way to go, if you’re really gonna go.
Sum 41 – Brooklyn Paramount – May 6, 2024
Setlist: Motivation, The Hell Song, Over My Head (Better Off Dead), No Reason, Underclass Hero, Some Say, Landmines, Dopamine, We’re All to Blame, Walking Disaster, With Me, Makes No Difference, My Direction / No Brains / All Messed Up, Drum Solo, Preparasi a salire, Rise Up, We Will Rock You, Ring of Fire, Pieces, What We’re All About, Fat Lip, Still Waiting
Encore: Summer, Waiting on a Twist of Fate, In Too Deep
After a six-year hiatus from the road, The Decemberists kicked off their “A Peaceable Kingdom” North American 2024 tour at UPAC on Tuesday, April 30. The band is out touring in support of the soon-to-be-released album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. The night’s performance reassured the sold-out house that the band had not lost a step after a six year absence.
The Decemberists
Drawing from lead singer/songwriter Colin Meloy’s college days at Oregon State as an English and theatre major, the show’s structure offered up the feeling of a three-act rock opera.
Act one: a subtly lit stage. Meloy enters from stage right, acoustic guitar in hand. Taking his position center stage, Colin performs “Red Right Ankle” from Her Majesty the Decemberists. One by one, the additional band members make their way to the stage, collectively performing three more songs including the debut of “All I Want Is You.”
The Decemberists
Act two: the stage is fully illuminated and the band plugs in, diving headfirst into the music. While showcasing tracks from their latest album, The Decemberists did not disappoint longtime fans playing favorites from their twenty-plus year career, including “Make You Better,” “Sucker’s Prayer,” and engaging in a sing-along during “16 Military Wives.”
Act three: the encore. Pushing nineteen minutes on the new album, “Joan in the Garden” closed the night out. With the feeling of a prog-rock styled anthem, The Decemberists took their fans on a musical journey, moving through multiple states of intensity, culminating with an explosion of white light encompassing the entire room as the song concluded.
The Decemberists
A bonus for the night was the Chicago-based band Ratboys. Their indie-pop drive proved to be the perfect opening act. A four-piece group, fronted by singer-songwriter Julie Steiner, garnered praise from the crowd as their set progressed.
Raatboys
The tour continues through the spring and summer, closing in The Decemberists’ hometown of Portland, Oregon, on August 3, with Ratboys opening most dates.
Dan Navarro brought his decades of finely crafted songs and well-honed performance skills to a standing-room only house at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs on Friday, May 3.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
Navarro, who introduced himself by promising his audience “two hours of the most depressing songs you’ve ever heard”, delivered two sets of original contemporary folk songs, all of which he wrote or co-wrote, including “Circling The Drain”, which he opened the show with, “Bullet Proof Heart”, “Rose In The Window”, “Horizon Line” and “We Belong”. He performed on both six and twelve string Taylor acoustic guitars.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
Dan preceded some of his performances with explanations as to how the song came to be written or the dynamics of co-writing. He talked of how co-writer Deborah Holland suggested he might want to listen to some lyrics she wrote for a song she’d titled “Circling The Drain”, to which he commented that he thought it was the “worst song idea I’ve ever heard”, and then she sent what she’d written so far and the song ultimately became their co-write of that title. He described how at one point he really didn’t think “We Belong”, which he co-wrote with long time songwriting and performing partner Eric Lowen, would amount to much, and then it became a huge hit for Pat Benatar and continues to appear in film, TV and countless other placements. And he described his long relationship with Eric Lowen as having been like that of an old married couple, saying: “We hung together for over thirty years, fought like hell and never had sex.”
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
Dan Navarro graced the crowd with a wonderful and inspiring pearl of wisdom about life based upon his own experiences, saying: “If I’d have stood on my anger, my pride and my bitterness, I’d have never lived the life I’ve lived…or had the successes I’ve had…When you’re swimming in poison, regret and fear and someone reaches out with an olive branch…do it.” Then he launched into “Bulletproof Heart”, one of his solo writes, and told us after he finished the song that at a recent performance in Arizona, the woman who inspired the song showed up. He didn’t elaborate!
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
Toward the end of the show, he told the audience that he continues to perform in his seventies simply because he loves it, and that that love of what he does drives him to the point that he doesn’t believe he can ever stop. Judging from the crowd’s reaction to his performance of song after song, his audiences will never stop showing up to listen.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
Navarro was backed up by bass player/recording engineer Mark Dann of Woodstock, NY who varied between laying down supportive, mindfully chosen simple accompaniment to Navarro’s single note playing and weaving skillfully crafted, spontaneous, lead-guitar-like melodic base lines into Navarro’s chordal passages. Navarro pointed out that he and Dann had not had a single practice session, but that he’d given the bass player no more than a set list, and presumably the key and basic progression for each song. Mark Dann’s skills at producing spontaneous creativity were quite evident.
Mark Dann, bassist for Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
The show was part of Navarro’s continuing 2024 US tour, with NY performances at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs and Song Salon at Graveside Variety in Woodstock; and in support of his most recent solo album release, “Horizon Line”, and his duo album with James Lee Stanley, “All Wood and Led”, which he described as an acoustic “Laurel Canyon” reimagination of famous Led Zeppelin tunes, from which he played his version of “Whole Lotta Love”.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
In addition to his work for decades as a singer songwriter, which have included not only his own recordings, songs he has written or cowritten have been recorded and performed by Pat Benatar, The Bangles, The Temptations, Dionne Warwick and others. Navarro’s songs have appeared in films including Deadpool 2, Pitch Perfect 2 and Talladega Nights and TV series including This Is Us and The Office. And he has performed as a singer and voice actor in movies including Encanto, Coco, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, and Pirates of the Carribean 5, to name a few.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
During the show Navarro mentioned that it “means the world to me to be in this room” and told the audience that his ties to Caffe Lena go back to 1986 when he and his former co-writing and performance duo partner, Eric Lowen, sat in a field not far from Saratoga at Lowen’s parents’ house staring at the stars and Lowen told him about Caffe Lena’s rich history. Navarro first played at Caffe Lena in 1998 and has played and taught songwriting there on numerous occasions since.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
A tribute to Navarro’s songwriting skill was the presence of numerous New York State local and regional songwriters in the crowd – Michael Eck who recently performed at Caffe Lena with a release party for his CD “fermata”, Brad Cole of Rhinebeck who has opened for Dan, Carl Rubino who has co-written with Navarro, and CB Smith.
Dan Navarro at Caffe Lena
For his final song, Dan and his bass player worked their way on to the middle of Caffe Lena’s packed floor where he did “We Belong” raw, with no mic or PA. His performance at this legendary listening room once again made evident how special the intimate performances of a smaller venue like Caffe Lena are. You just can’t get the same relationship between performer and audience in a stadium or even large hall.
Dan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe LenaDan Navarro at Caffe Lena
No stranger to Western NY, Tim McGraw brought his energy back to Buffalo on May 4, rocking the KeyBank Center. Playing in the area for the first time in 5 years, McGraw’s Standing Room Only Tour ’24 tour featured Carly Pearce and rising star Abby Anderson as openers.
Like many other regions, Western NY has taken a liking to country music and Tim McGraw over the years has played gigs in Buffalo, Darien Lake, Rochester, and Canandaigua, often on the same tour. With five prominent venues from Buffalo to Canandaigua, there is no shortage of fans or places to play.
Hitting the stage after Abby Anderson’s brief set, Carly Pearce came out to the hyped Buffalo crowd. With the hockey and football seasons both over for a while, Buffalonians needed something to keep then energized and Pearce did her part. She even bantered about illegal activities in Buffalo. Apparently, wearing slippers in public after 10pm is against the law, as is throwing a ball at an unexpected person’s head.
Since coming into her own with 2017’s “Every Little Thing”, Pearce has been a mainstay on country charts and stations across the country. While the thirty-four-year-old has her own style and sound, it is very reminiscent of the 90s country sounds of Faith Hill, Shania Twain, and Miranda Lambert, with some vindictive tones. Such is the case with “What He Didn’t Do”. The song talks about a breakup and different sides of the story. While she won’t say he did, she will tell you what he didn’t do. Pearce urges fans that if they are in a relationship and they question why they are in it, it’s time to get out. Applause and cheers fill the arena as Pearce stands there looking teary eyed with an ear to ear smile.
That’s just dirty laundry I don’t need to air the truth So I ain’t gonna tell you everything he did But I’ll tell you what he didn’t do
Having worked with high profile names over the past several years, including Chirs Stapelton, Ashley McBryde, and Leann Rimes, Pearce has paid her dues and earned all the accolades. Included accolades are 2018 CMT Award for Breakthrough Video of The Year for “Every Little Thing” and 2021 CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year. Keep your eyes on this talented musician as her career continues to gain steam going forward.
Setlist: Diamondback, Next Girl, Easy Going, Never Wanted to Be That Girl, Let’s Go to Vegas (F. Hill cover), We Don’t Fight Anymore, Every Little Thing, Country Music Made Me Do It, Truck on Fire, What He Didn’t Do, I Hope You’re Happy Now
Following a brief intermission, fans continued to fill the arena as lights go down and a solid red back drop illuminated the stage. Suddenly, a gargantuan silhouette of a guy in his famous Stetson hat appears and seemingly models for the crowd. The crowd erupts as the backdrop fades and Tim McGraw rises to the stage in Buffalo for the first time since 2019.
An ageless classic, McGraw is outfitted in his typical Stetson hat, tight fitting jeans, and ripped shirt. A musical GQ cover, some might say, is touring to promote his newest album Standing Room Only, released in summer of 2023
With nearly 30 years of music to choose from, the singer/actor delivers an impeccable setlist of classics and new music, with killer light show and animated backdrops changing for each song to tell the story.
Starting off the set, fans are treated to powerful rendition of “Truck Yeah”, a song about living the life of southern boy. The old pick up with blaring music, farm life and chasing the girl.
Rap or country, city farm It don’t matter who you are Got a little fight, got a little love Got a little redneck in your blood Are you one of us?
“Southern Voice” and “All I Want is a Life” round out the first three, and the crowd is just getting warmed up. Going word for word and matching the energy of each song is the game tonight. If only the Sabres could learn something about matching energy.
As I walk off to tuck photo gear and find my seat, the Buffalo faithful are serenaded with bluesy version of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer”. There aren’t many songs from Elton than can be covered properly, but I’ll damned if McGraw didn’t take it to another level.
As the set continues, McGraw takes a moment to let the crowd know that he does not chatter much during his shows. Explaining why, he says he is married and has daughters. He knows that nobody will listen to him anyway.
Moving on, with songs like “One Bad Habit” and “Watch the Wind Blow By”, the backdrop screen plays videos and images of Tim and his wife, Faith Hill, a testament to his undying love to his wife. Having been married since 1996, they have the marriage that Ross and Rachel only dreamed of. A storybook marriage that has stood the test of time and fame.
Playing the title track from his most recent album, it is a song about living life and making the most of everything. Getting mad at things that don’t matter will get you nowhere, you need to embrace the challenges and make people envious.
Live a life so when I die There’s standing room only, standing room only Standing room only, standing room only
Rounding out his set, Tim comes out for a 3 song encore that is preceded by a video montage of the series 1883, which starred both him and his wife. Accordingly, “The Cowboy in Me” led things off, followed by “Humble and Kind,” and “Live Like You Were Dying”. “Humble and Kind”, although released by McGraw, was written by Lori McKenna as song to her children about everything she wanted her children to know. McGraw was able to put some new melodies to it and took it to the top in 2015. The following year, though, McKenna did release it on her album.
“Live Like You Were Dying” was released in 2004 and although never confirmed it tells about someone who has been stricken with a debilitating sickness. Singing about all the things you never had the chance to do or kept putting off for whatever reason, and now you must find a way to cross those things of the bucket list. A powerful and emotional song to close out the set that undoubtedly left some fans in tears.
Growing up, I was never a fan of country music. My entire family listened to it, except me. I was reluctant to attend a Tim McGraw show in 2004 as part of a marital bargaining chip. That show truly changed my take on country music going forward. Watching Tim and Faith on stage and how broad their talents were something to marvel at. Powerful, thought out lyrics, and amazing stage presence hooked me and now 20 years later, this happens. The world works in mysterious ways.
Tim McGraw setlist: Truck Yeah, Southern Voice, All I Want Is a Life, Tiny Dancer (Elton John), Just To See You Smile, Over and Over/Shotgun Rider, One Bad Habit, Watch the Wind Blow By, Something Like That, Where The Green Grass Grows, Standing Room Only, Red Ragtop, Highway Don’t Care (w/Taylor Swift), I like It I Love It, Felt Good on My Lips, Real Good Man
Encore: 1883 video footage, The Cowboy in Me, Humble and Kind, Live Like You Were Dying
A pair of indie rock’s most influential bands showcased two of their impactful albums on Friday, May 3rd at the MVP Arena in Albany, as The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie teamed up for an impressive co-headlining bill. The bands were celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of their most celebrated albums (The Postal Service, Give Up and Death Cab for Cutie, Transatlanticism), with each band performing their respective album in full.
The tour itself was born out of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of The Postal Service’s iconic (and only) studio release, Give Up. The album started as a collaborative effort between Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) and electronic wiz Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel). The album, which was praised for its creative efforts, saw the tracks written with the two mailing demo CD-Rs back and forth until reaching completion. The duo would eventually add Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley) to the mix, and The Postal Service was born.
Wisconsin based Slow Pulp opened the show and provided a 35 minute set of dreamy, indie-pop tracks. From their opener, “Idaho”, the band had the early arriving crowd caught in a shoegaze induced trance.
The near capacity crowd had filled the seats when Death Cab For Cutie took to the stage. The band, all dressed in black, opened with the dramatic crescendo of “The New Year,” and continued on to perform their critically acclaimed album Transatlanticism in entirety. The album, which tells the tale of the struggles and emotions that come with a long-distance relationship, likely served as the soundtrack for many in attendance as they navigated love and loss during their adolescence.
Gibbard brilliantly wove the audience through the musical journey, which saw classic Death Cab tracks like “Title and Registration” and “Expo ’86”. Late in the set, Gibbard and his band mates performed epic renditions of the album’s title track, as well as “Passenger Seat,” both of which saw the arena illuminate with cellphone lights and even a lighter or two, a call back to the original era of this music.
Excitement was palpable through out the packed arena well before the house lights dimmed and The Postal Service made their way to the stage. Now dressed in all white, Gibbard, along with Jenny Lewis whipped the arena in to a frenzy from the opening synth notes of “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight.” While the album would cover similar themes as Transatlanticsm, the sadness and sorrow were masked with upbeat synths, sounds, and drum loops, curated by Tamborello. Highlights of the set included Gibbard and Lewis dueting on “Nothing Better” as well as the dark and isolative “This Place is a Prison”.
Gibbard and Lewis would return to the stage to perform an acoustic rendition of “Such Great Heights”, an rendition of the Give Up track which was made famous by Iron & Wine. It was the second performance of the song on this evening, as the band had previously performed the more upbeat version during the main set. It was a treat for those in attendance to hear the diverse renditions of the song, and a testament to the songwriting and musical talents displayed on the album.
When Here Come the Mummies come to town, you know you’re in for a thrilling night of funk. For the unfamiliar, you’re in for a lyrical treat, in addition to the stellar musical performance from the wrapping cloaked mummies on stage.
This past Friday, May 3 at Empire Live, Troy-based Front Biz opened the night for Here Come the Mummies, dropping a choice set of indie rock that paired nicely with the funk that was on tap. This night marked HCTM first show back in the Capital Region since performing at Skyloft in late 2019.
Entering from the back of the venue, the Mummies walked out and wound through the crowd, a drumline sounding their arrival in grand fashion. Once on the stage, the group burst into “My Party,” and from there, the party took off.
What lay ahead was more than 90 minutes of venue shaking bass, multiple horn players swapping back and forth on solos and adding flare to each song, as well as a guitarist who shredded song after song, all keeping their identities under wraps. The group let their “Freak Flag” fly, led the crowd in “Ra Ra Ra”, got suggestive with “Hard at Work” and doubled down with “Pants.” The group’s hilarious lyrics (SFW but full of double and triple entendre) are engaging for the uninitiated, atop a funk foundation you can’t stop moving to.
With an encore of “Dirty Minds,” the party came to a close, a crowd covered in streamers that had been shot from the stage, celebrated the Mummies and cheered them on for more.
Prof is a Minnesota rapper and founder of the independent label Stophouse Music Group. He is most known for his witty lyricism, a personal favorite being “I moved further from the bank so I could laugh longer” from his raunchy hit “Tarzan.” Prof brought his Gallery Tour and a number of hits to Racket in Manhattan on April 29. Prof has made numerous stops in New York over the years, slowly growing his fanbase, though, by his own admission, not as quickly as he has grown in other markets.
Futuristic opened the show, jumping around the stage with his videographer. His performance felt deserving of its own show, which is convenient because he will return to New York next month for his own headliner tour. He also debuted a new song with a Prof feature that will be released next week. The second opener, Grip, was equally impressive and invited some fans to rap with him onstage. Grip first introduced a fan he had run into and become friends with after rapping Eminem’s verse from Grip’s song “Walkthrough!” Though the fan was obviously nervous and had some trouble with the mic, he got the crowd hyped and made the song extra special with his excitement.
To start Prof’s set, his DJ, Willie Wonka, came out first onto an empty stage adorned with cardboard cutouts of marble statues, ancient (plastic) urns, Greek columns, and crates full of artifacts. He began “casing” the stage like an art museum while donning a ski mask and carrying a duffle bag and flashlight. After Wonka finally gave the all-clear, Prof burst out onto the stage with “Feed the Dogs” and more energy than most people have in their entire lives. A gallery is an ironic concept for Prof, who feels more like a bull in a china shop in most settings.
Prof wore a mathcing teal ski mask and windbreaker combo, pink flamingo socks, and white driving shoes. He has a stage presence like no other and immediately began mean-mugging the crowd while whipping bottled water all over the audience and stage and waving his trusty white towel. After two songs, Prof slowly removed the mask, his face twisted in horror at his own reveal.
Later when Wonka came out from behind his DJ table to twerk for the audience for the second time that night, Prof used that same towel to slap Wonka’s butt. Prof is not one to focus on his birthday as much as his music. That didn’t stop his crew and the team at Racket from bringing out a huge sheet cake on stage with dozens of candles for him. The audience joined in, singing “Happy Birthday” before Prof eventually moved into his next song.
Now, Prof continues his tour down south and ends with a show back home in Minneapolis. Hopefully, Profâs success across North America translates into bigger shows in NYC. He puts on a great show, and it would be even better to share it with a huge crowd.
The Driver Era is a dynamic sibling duo comprising Ross and Rocky Lynch, born from the talents honed during their time in their sibling band R5. Hailing from LA, the Lynch brothers have cultivated a unique sound that blends elements of alt-rock and pop. This all results in a captivating discography that resonates with audiences worldwide.
Since their start as The Driver Era, Ross and Rocky have embarked on a creative journey of artistic exploration. With a passion for pushing musical boundaries and a commitment to authenticity, they captivated listeners with their electrifying live performances.
The Driver Era made a triumphant return to NY at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. This marks a highly-anticipated follow-up to their electrifying show at Pier 17 in NYC the previous summer. Amidst a backdrop of euphoric energy, Ross and Rocky delivered a spellbinding performance that left the audience spellbound.
The Show
From the opening notes of “OMG” to the encore of “A Kiss,” The Driver Era unleashed irresistible hooks that had the crowd roaring from start to finish. The Lynch brothers showcased their dynamic stage presence and undeniable chemistry, commanding the stage with effortless charisma and boundless energy.
Throughout the night, the band treated fans to hits, including “Feel You Now,” “Scared of Heights,” and “Afterglow”. Special moments such as Riker Lynch bringing out his wife to dance during one of the songs added a touch of intimacy to the performance. Rydel Lynch’s presence in the photo pit served as a testament to the band’s close family dynamic as well.
The audience was fully immersed in the experience, with many fans sporting pink cowboy hats and waving handmade signs. One sign read “I’ll trade my hat for your shirt”, demonstrating audience dedication. The electric atmosphere reached a high when two fans threw their bras on stage during “Preacher Man,” a testament to the band’s magnetic appeal.
As the night started to close, The Driver Era left the crowd wanting more. They decided to end the show with a euphoric encore performance of “Heart of Mine” and “A Kiss.” With their infectious energy and undeniable talent, The Driver Era proved once again why they are a force to be reckoned with in the world of music.
Setlist: OMG, Feel You Now, Heaven Angel, Scared of Heights, End of Your Life, Afterglow, Low, Rumors, On My Own (from Teen Beach Movie), Get Off My Phone, Cray Z Babe E, Take Me Away, Giveuwhatuwant, Malibu, Nobody Knows, Fantasy, Preacher Man
On April 24, music fans filled the industrial looking Essex Rochester, as Benjamin Tod and Lost Dog Street Band serenaded the air with the blended sounds of bluegrass, country, and folk music. The band is on the front end of a 23-stop tour in support of their newest album, Survived.
Lost Dog Street Band
Walking into the venue, the smell of vapes and weed, the countless colors and patterns of flannel, and older Subarus with cargo racks let you know that the crowd was going to enjoy themselves and not just have a night out. Young and old alike, these fans were singing along all night long with every song. Of the few shows I have covered at this newer venue, this was easily the fullest I have seen it at the start of a show, and the fans were still packing in as the set went on.
Starting of the night was the duo Keith and Sparrow Smith, The Resonant Rogues. Coming from the mountains of North Carolina, The Rogues bring some classic, rustic country sounds that match equally with the band they are touring with. A little Twitty, a little Cline, and whole lot of fun.
Formed in 2013, Keith and Sparrow both brought songwriting experience to the table as they were avid travelers. One by hopping freight trains and the other while performing with a circus troupe. Regardless of their paths, they now are a team on and off the stage, and the connection has been perfect.
Resonant Rogues setlist: Dusk and dawn, Deluge, Sand into pearls, Misery is my company, Slow burn, 93,500 miles, The Blackest Crow, What Makes Me Think, Leave the Path, Ridgelines, Closing in
Resonant Rogues
Hitting the stage around 9 was Benjamin Tod & Lost Dog Street Band. Like many musical artists, Tod has a story of a past. And like many before him, the past has defined who he was, who he is, and what does moving forward, such as making amazing music that tells stories.
“Survived”, the title track of newest album, is a prime example. Lyrics that ask life’s burning questions, Tod reflects on how and why he got to where he is. Having gone through tumultuous times personally and professionally, he is able to produce a well thought out and complete album, with deep lyrics throughout.
I carry some burdens too fragile to mold I wear them like diamonds though theyâre worthless as stones
As the show goes on, Tod and wife Ashley Mae playing the fiddle, serenade the crowd as they sing along, nearly getting drowned out. On Using Again, you could see and hear the first couple rows of fans belting out every word as loud as they could. Another poignant song, that seemingly speaks of Tod as he was trying his damndest to get and stay clean. Hard, deep thoughts that truly make you think and become grateful for life.
Lost deep inside of my dirty old soul Some starry-eyed boy never taught self control The cost of my living was more than I planned So I held a needle like a gun in my hand
Having broken up the Log Dog project at one point, Tod realized that was mistake and after recording a solo album, he rejuvenated the band in early 2023. With that, we have “Survived”, which was released on April 26, aptly named for Benjamin Tod as well as the Lost Dog Street Band weathering some tough storms.
Setlist: Brighter Shade, Hubbardville Store, Lifetime of Work, Shooting Star, The Mountain, Using Again, Waiting around to Die, War Inside of Me, If You Leave Me Now, Lazy Moonshiner, September Doves, Wyoming, Survived
Lost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandLost Dog Street BandResonant RoguesResonant RoguesResonant RoguesResonant RoguesResonant RoguesResonant RoguesResonant Rogues
