NYS Music 2024

Category: Photo Gallery

  • Atlas B. Brings Some Spice to NoFun in Troy

    Electronic music can be confusing. Deciphering the differences between Jungle, Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Techno, House, Trance, and numerous others can be quite the challenge, but also part of the fun. Electro-Soul Beats is a genre that might elude most, but not Atlas B, it’s where he lives. On April 13, at NoFun in Troy, Atlas B performed his unique brand of music.

    Using a laptop, an APC 40 controller, and (I assume) Ableton Live, Brian Enders took the audience on a sonic journey that was sample-rich, melodic, often-times wobble-bassey, and just plain fun. And that was just the sound.

    Brian Enders A.K.A. Atlas B. is a Clifton Park native and has been making a name for himself locally. Starting in November of 2021 he launched his Atlas B. project using DistroKid to distribute his first single “Aeronautics” and has consistently been producing and performing ever since. He’s no stranger to NoFun as he’s done numerous shows there and packs in a crowd.

    The normally darkened scene at NoFun was lit up like a Christmas tree with a gigantic curved LED wall that spanned nearly the entire width of the stage, not to mention the 6 CRT monitors at the foot of the stage. The complex, fractal-like, mirrored animations were a great accent to the hard-driving grooves that boomed throughout the space and spilled into River Street.

    Occasionally Atlas B. was joined by Noah Fense Beers for some welcome and well-delivered rap lyrics atop the pristine chunked-out beats, giving the whole show a nice ebb and flow. It highlighted the power of collaboration and how music can be a binding force between people. That force was present between the two performers and it radiated into the audience. That good vibe was brought to the forefront when Ender’s brought out his remix of “Say You’ll Be There” by The Spice Girls. There’s something to be said about an artist that can weave a set of music together that hits hard and then drop in The Spice Girls without causing bedlam.

    The future for Atlas B. looks bright as word gets out and his music gains momentum. No future dates announced yet, but certainly keep an eye on Troy’s NoFun and Empire Live in Albany as he tends to pup up there.

  • The Motet Boogies On Through Buffalo Ironworks

    The Motet and opening act The Sideways got Buffalo boogieing down at Buffalo Ironworks on April 16. They all brought contagious energy.

    The Sideways, a popular band in Rochester, started the night off. The band is a fusion of pop, soul and R&B. They played songs from their recently released debut album, Fair Weather. Their sweet sound got the audience’s dancing feet ready for The Motet.

    The Motet, a Denver-based band with a blend of funk, soul, and jazz music, had people jamming and dancing. With the addition of vocalist Sarah Clark only this past fall, it felt like she’d always been part of the band. The way that she interacted with the crowd and carried this contagious energy of fun. Whether she was trying on an audience member’s sunglasses or leading the crowd in song, she kept up the energy all night long

    Both The Sideways and The Motet left the Buffalo audience with their contagious energy and good vibes. I can honestly say that everyone left in such a great mood. I’d be surprised if someone didn’t.

    The Motet will be back in New York on April 27 at Brooklyn Bowl.

  • Michael Seyer Celebrates 6 Years of Bad Bonez with Intimate Show at Elsewhere Zone One

    Michael Seyer has brought back his most popular album, Bad Bonez, for its sixth anniversary, playing the entire album live. Seyer even had to write live renditions for some songs on the album which had never been performed before. Elsewhere Zone One provided the perfect setting for this show as an intimate crowd of a couple of hundred fans gathered Sunday, April 14, for a concert filled with soft vocals and fan interaction. It was an experience you can rarely find with an artist of Seyer’s size.

    Seyer has a strong following in New York City and has played shows across Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Buffalo almost every year since 2018, excluding 2020 for obvious reasons. In 2021, Michael Seyer accompanied Men I Trust on their Untourable Album Tour across the US. At their two sold-out shows at Brooklyn Steel, the audience instantly recognized he had something special. His soft dream pop vocals and RnB-inspired instrumentation matched well with the sound of Men I Trust.

    Seyer, now on his own headliner tour, brought out fellow California-based artist Sundiver Ca to open. You may know Sundiver Ca from their synth-forward hit song “Soundtrack for Your Backseat,” but songs like “Wet Dreams” and “Oh Honey” conjured acts like King Krule with reverb-heavy guitar that culminated in belting vocals.

    Seyer entered the stage and opened his set with a rendition of “Zelda’s Lullaby” from the video game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on an ocarina of his own, with additional backing from the full band. The audience was clearly familiar with Seyer’s discography and personality, given the number of people singing along to every song and bantering with him. In the middle of the set, Seyer teased new music to balance out the older repertoire, only to break out a tongue-in-cheek cover of Nickelback’s “How You Remind Me.”

    Most of the audience may have been toddlers when Nickelback’s Silver Side Up was released, but the audience immediately got the joke and belted out gravely supporting vocals. For another song, Seyer asked a fan to hold up a lyric sheet (as you do when playing a 6-year-old album in full) only to notice mid-song that he had given him the wrong sheet and instead repeated the first verse to laughs from the audience.

    Now, Seyer’s tour continues up the East Coast, through Canada, and then back through the Midwest to finish with four California shows. It has been three years since the 2021 release of his last album, A Good Fool, so we hope he will be back in New York soon with new music. Seyer has shown the world that he is a talent both as a musician and lyricist, so we are excited to see where his career goes.

    Michael Seyer – Elsewhere Zone One, Brooklyn – April 14, 2024

    Setlist: Zelda’s Lullaby, Bad Bonez, Ring Around the Rosie, Show Me How You Feel, I Feel Best When I’m Alone, Weekend at Santa Cruz, Kill All Your Darlings, Untitled Bonez, Waiting for You, Lucky Love, Father, An Awful Lonely Summer, Motions, Sonata for a Bad Ghost

  • Infinity Song Gets Blue Note Jazz Club Out of Their Seats on First Night of Four-Day Residency

    Infinity Song filled the Blue Note Jazz Club with joyous soft rock on Monday, April 15, to open their four-day residency. John Boyd, the father of Abraham, Angel, Momo, and Israel Boyd, the four siblings who make up Infinity Song, gave a speech to commemorate the occasion.

    The show was the culmination of 27 years of raising children for the Boyd parents, who are both lifelong musicians themselves, going from busking in Central Park to making music under the Roc Nation banner and seeing mainstream success in the city where they grew up. He ended the speech playing on a classic proverb, saying, “It takes ten villages to raise an artist.”

    The night was a joyous celebration of music, of family, of history. The band immediately set a mood and established their distinct personalities onstage. The eldest brother, Abraham, spent the first three songs belting while striking poses and running in place on the stage, pumping his arms like he was competing in a marathon to cheers from the audience.

    His younger brother and the band’s electric guitarist, Israel, reacted to the cheers by jokingly scolding Abraham for misleading the audience into thinking he was the dancer of the family. This banter culminated in the only way a sibling rivalry can, a dance-off. Each of the four siblings took turns improvising their own dance to on-the-fly beats from the supporting band. For those with siblings, it’s not hard to imagine some similar antics arising if given a stage together.

    Coming out of the dance battle, they went into a revolutionary cover of Stevie Nicks’ “Dreams,” which can be found on their newest album, Metamorphosis. No other artist has done the song so much justice. Being raised by musicians and being interdisciplinary themselves, you would be hard-pressed to find four people with that much raw talent on any stage besides the Blue Note last night.

    “Slow Burn” and “Hater’s Anthem” were their two most popular songs of the night. “Slow Burn” is a personal favorite that makes use of the sisters’ differing vocal textures to great effect. “Hater’s Anthem” harkens back to the 90s with upbeat choral vocals from the whole group and an underlying message about the pitfalls of being a hater while convincing yourself that you are inherently better than others who are putting in the work towards their goals.

    Not only did Infinity Song pack Blue Note on a Monday, but they got the audience dancing, too, as the small club rose from their dinner tables to dance out the end of the show with the band. You can experience Infinity Song in residency at the Blue Note through Thursday, April 18, with shows at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. This was an otherworldly experience: bring your friends, bring your family, because Infinity Song is up next.

  • Bad Bunny’s ‘Most Wanted’ Tour Lights Up New York City

    Under the cover of night on April 12, performing a total of 37 songs, not including the orchestra that introduced him at the top of the night before morphing musically into “Nadie Sabe,” Bad Bunny showed fans at the Barclays Center in attendance for his ‘Most Wanted’ Tour that he isn’t going anywhere.

    From opening the show with a full-string orchestra who performed for about 15 minutes of stage time the dynamic backup dancers, Bad Bunny really put on one western and trap inspired show. At one, he exited the stage only to re-enter again on horseback. And yes, it was a real horse.

    The first act consisted of songs mostly from his latest LP ‘Nadie sabe lo sue va a passer manana.’ Bad Bunny changed it up by going back to his trap roots with “Tu No Metes Cabra,” which was released in 2017, followed by “Pa Ti” and “No Te Hagas.” He made sure to greet just about every section of the Barclays Center and accomplished that with a floating catwalk in the center of the arena that slowly spun around the venue. In the final act, Bad Bunny transported fans to the songs that have taken the world by storm, such as his 2023 single with Grupo Frontera, “Un x100to” as well as megahits from 2020’s YHLQMDLG (“Safaera” and “Yo Perreo Sola”) and 2022’s Un Verano Sin Ti (“Efecto” and “Me Porto Bonito”).

    While some fans may have been disappointed to not hear their favourite song, the show ended on a strong note with “Efecto” and “Me Porto Bonito” — both songs whipped fans into a frenzy that felt worth the wait. Bunny closed the show with “WHERE SHE GOES” — and confetti. 

    And the crowd left with the sense they had just seen a true international superstar.

    Bad Bunny Setlist: NADIE SABE, MONACO, FINA, HIBIKI, MR. OCTOBER, MERCEDES CAROTA, CYBERTRUCK, VOU 787, SEDA, BATICANO, Pa Ti, No Te Hagas, Vuelve, Me Mata, Soy peor, Tú no vive así, Chambea, Diles, 25/8, VUELVE CANDY B, THUNDER Y LIGHTNING, GRACIAS POR NADA, UNX100TO, BABY NUEVA, PERRO NEGRO, Safaera, Yo perreo sola, La Santa, La Jumpa, DÁKITI, Efecto, Me Porto Bonito, UN PREVIEW, NO ME QUIERO CASAR, and WHERE SHE GOES.

  • In Focus: Big Something brings great vibes to Buffalo Iron Works

    Big Something, a well-established group in the Jam Band scene, brought their good time grooves and uplifting vibes to Buffalo Iron Works on April 12.

    big something

    For me, seeing a Big Something show has always been an uplifting experience, and this show was no exception. Right from the start, the energy from the band to the crowd, and vice versa could be felt immediately. And if watching Nick MacDaniels jump and bounce around while playing doesn’t put a smile on your face I don’t know what to say.

    big something

    This show was not a show to miss. From the first song to the last the band was on fire pulling out old favorites and I’m sure new favorites, while flawlessly pulling off a few covers. This is a not to miss band if you have an opportunity to catch them.

    Big Something – Buffalo Iron Works – April 12, 2024

    Set 1: Waves, Tumbleweed, Fearless (Pink Floyd), Clouds, Algorithm, Sundown Nomad
    Set 2: Capt D, Bob and Weave, Head ON / Pill (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard), The Mountain, Evil Josh, Song For Us, Plug
    Encore: The Flood

    big something
    big something

  • Bruce Springsteen makes the wait worth it for Albany fans

    On Monday, April 15, “The Boss,” Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band finally returned to a sold-out crowd at Albany’s MVP Arena.

    Bruce Springsteen in Albany, NY – Jarron Childs

    Albany’s show was originally set for September 19 of last year, but because of some health complications, Bruce Springsteen elected to postpone many of his September tour dates. This was his second postponement of the tour. They not only said they were going to make up those dates, but also announced in October, a European leg of the tour.

    The show started promptly at 7:30pm with no opener. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band took the stage to a roaring crowd of approximately 17,000 people. He interacted well with the crowd, using many hand gestures to get everyone amped up. Unlike many artists today, Springsteen also had fans sit behind the stage and took time out to perform to them too.

    Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band tour continues in Syracuse on April 18. If you can’t catch Springsteen live this time around, he also recently released a live album, Songs of Celebration, that is available on all streaming platforms.

    Setlist: Candy’s Room, Adam Raised a Cain, Lonesome Day, Ghosts, Letter to You ,The Promised Land, Atlantic City, Trapped (Jimmy Cliff cover), Spirit in the Night, Hungry Heart, Nightshift (Commodores cover), Racing in the Street, Last Man Standing, Backstreets, Because the Night, Downbound Train, She’s the One, Wrecking Ball, The Rising, Badlands, Thunder Road

    Encore (Part 1): Light of Day, Born to Run, Bobby Jean, Dancing in the Dark, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

    Encore (Part 2): Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover), I’ll See You in My Dreams

    On Monday, April 15th, "The Boss," Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band came out to a sold-out crowd at Albany's MVP Arena.

  • In Focus: A Tribute to ABBA at Proctors Theatre

    ABBA’s music was center stage at Proctors in Schenectady on Thursday, April 11, as ABBA The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA, began their tour and kept the Swedish disco pop legacy alive. The show was riddled with outfit changes, energy and music to get the audience out of their seats, and the closest you can get to the real thing.

    ABBA

    As the lights dimmed, the band walked out to crowd cheers. The setlist was filled with ABBA favorites including “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” and “Lay All Your Love On Me,” as this tribute band brought the excitement with them. Following each era of ABBA’s music were an outfit change including bright colors, sparkles and patterns. There was a mixture of dancing and singing throughout the evening, followed by acoustic songs that brought tears to the audience’s eyes.

    To finish an extraordinary night of 70’s favorites, “Dancing Queen” got everyone out of their seats. As the band left the stage, the crowd danced their way to the exit, hearing the audience comment “They were so amazing,” and “I forgot it wasn’t ABBA.”

    This was truly a night none will forget, with songs stuck in our heads for years to come.

  • Bas concludes North American Tour at Irving Plaza

    Talk about saving the best for last, On April 9, that was the case for Dreamville’s Bas as he stopped at the famed Irving Plaza in New York City for the last stop on his ‘WE ONLY TALK ABOUT REAL SHIT WHEN WE’RE F*CKED UP’ North American Tour.

    bas tour

    The show featured three openers: Blxckie, Reuben Vincent, and Hoosh. Each opener each played for around 20 minutes, giving a taste of their style and sound. This shorter set times and the overall quality of the openers worked really well for getting the crowd ready for Bas to take the stage. It was obvious that Bas picked musicians he respects and enjoys listening to to open for him, something emphasized by a story he told about first hearing Blxckie’s music while in South Africa during his set.

    bas tour

    Bas graced the stage under a red glowed ambience and sintilating sounds of his live band. Bas was particularly good at interacting with and engaging the crowd. The show kept a great energy with the crowd getting into songs from We Only Talk About Real Shit When We’re Fucked Up and Bas’ back catalog. Bas brought backing vocalists who really filled out his live sound and added a sense of harmony to the performance. These vocals were such a nice touch that really show his attention to detail in putting together a performance.

    The show ended with Bas inviting a fan up to rap J. Cole’s verse on his song “Lit.” Clearly energized, the fan selected from the crowd excitedly performed with Bas. Longtime collaborator and Dreamville leader J.Cole popped onto the stage to the surprise of the fan and the crowd. Cole went on to finish the song with the fan and perform “H.Y.B.” with Bas and his classic smash hit ‘No Role Modelz’ rounding out a great night of music and vibes.

    Setlist: Light of my Soul, Home Alone, 179 Deli, Black Jedi, Choppas, Yao Ming, Diamonds, Methylone, Dopamine, Ricochet, Clouds Never Get Old, Night Job, Khartoum, Risk, Decent, U-Turn ft. Blackie, Passport Bros, Boca Raton, The Jackie, Paper Cuts, Dr. O’blivion, Wait on Me, H.Y.B., Costa Rica, Down Bad, Tribe and Lit.

    bas tour
    bas tour
    bas tour

  • mgk and Trippie Redd Debut new EP “genre : sadboy” at Irving Plaza

    On a rainy April evening, April 2, 2024 to be exact, mgk and Trippie Redd brought their brand new EP genre : sadboy to the Irving Plaza stage for its first ever live performance.

    A week prior, the pair got fans excited by releasing a video for their song “lost boys,” as well as a short documentary about their time creating the album. Tickets to the show were free and given to fans through a raffle and needless to say that mgk and Trippie fans showed out on Tuesday night, packing the house. 

    Trippie Redd (left) and mgk (right) at Irving Plaza. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil.

    The two opened up the show performing the first five songs off of their new tracklist. The album gives catchy choruses while maintaining a sad tone. Through their words the two artists explore their personal experiences with drugs, relationships and depression. Although the EP is brand new, mgk and Trippie’s longtime fans already knew all of the words. 

    Trippie Redd (back left) and mgk (right) at Irving Plaza. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil.

    After the first five tracks, the Ohio native artists started taking turns performing some of their solo music. Trippie Redd started things off with his 3x platinum track “Taking a Walk,” and mgk followed with “PRESSURE.” They then went back and forth one more time with Trippie performing “Wish,” and mgk performing “dont let me go.” Although short, the throwback portion of the show provided a nice reminder to what these two established artists have accomplished in the past.

    Trippie Redd at Irving Plaza. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil.

    Following their four track throwback session, mgk and Trippie Redd continued with the next four tracks of their EP which all helped showcase both artists use of soft tones and dreamy, but also dark, fairytale-like sounds. mgk and Trippie then brought back some more of their old music, with mgk performing “my ex’s best friend,” “all I know,” and “Candy,” all with the crowd at full energy, screaming every word back to mgk. Trippie sang a beautiful rendition of “Fuck Love” his 2017 that he created alongside XXXTENTACION. 

    mgk at Irving Plaza. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil.

    With only one track from the EP unsung, the artists started to go back and perform some songs for the second time. They repeated “lost boys” and “beauty” before mgk invited a fan, who had a message on his phone saying he could rap “el Diablo” faster than him, onto the stage. mgk and the fan went bar for bar together rapping the song, and then had a warm embrace at the end before the fan left the stage. Then mgk and Trippie performed “time travel” and “struggles” off of their new EP, for a second time. 

    Trippie Redd (left) and mgk (right) at Irving Plaza. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil.

    To close out the show, mgk performed “Wild Boy” with some acapella verses, as well as “I Think I’m OKAY.” Finally, mgk and Trippie performed the only song off of “genre : sadboy” that had yet to be played, “summer’s gone.” At the end of the song the two artists dropped down off of the stage to greet the fans at the front barricade, before finally departing. 

    Trippie Redd (left) and mgk (right) at Irving Plaza. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil.

    Setlist: lost boys, beauty, time travel, struggles, suddenly, Taking a Walk, PRESSURE, Wish, dont let me go, half dead, hiding in the hills, no more, who do i call, my ex’s best friend, Fuck Love, all I know, Candy, lost boys, beauty, el Diablo, time travel, struggles, Wild Boy, I Think I’m OKAY, summer’s gone

    Trippie Redd at Irving Plaza. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil.
    mgk at Irving Plaza. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil.
    Trippie Redd at Irving Plaza. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil.
    Trippie Redd at Irving Plaza. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil.