The Ghost Club’s concert at Elsewhere, as part of “The King Whatever Tour,” was a riveting display of indie rock energy and resilience. Led by the enigmatic frontman Domenic Dunegan, the five-piece band delivered a performance that was as emotionally charged as it was musically compelling.
Despite facing a momentary setback when Domenic accidentally hit his head while standing up on the bar, he soldiered on with unwavering determination, embodying the band’s ethos of perseverance against the odds.
From the moment they took the stage, The Ghost Club commanded attention with their incisive songwriting and sharp commentary on themes of masculinity, self-reflection, and resilience. Hits like “Creature of the Shadows” and “I Feel Fine” had the crowd entranced, while live debuts of “It’s Your Call” and “I’m Sold” showcased the band’s willingness to push boundaries and explore new sonic territories.
A defining moment of the evening came during their cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” where Domenic’s electrifying stage presence and raw emotion electrified the audience. Despite his injury, he continued to deliver a mesmerizing performance, captivating the crowd with every lyric and melody.
As the night progressed, The Ghost Club treated fans to a string of live debuts, including the poignant “If I Fell (Don’t Wait Here for Me)” and the anthemic title track “King Whatever.” Closing out the set with the haunting ballad “Don’t Let Go,” Domenic and the band left an indelible mark on everyone in attendance, proving that they are a force to be reckoned with in the indie rock scene.
Overall, The Ghost Club’s performance at Elsewhere was a testament to their resilience, passion, and unwavering commitment to their craft. Despite facing challenges along the way, they delivered a show that was both powerful and unforgettable, leaving fans eagerly anticipating their next performance.
Stay tuned for their upcoming album “King Whatever” set to release ahead of this summer!
Setlist: Creature of the Shadows, All I Know, It’s Your Call (Live Debut), I’m Sold (Live Debut), I Feel Fine, War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover), Sucker, Two Steps Ahead, If I Fell (Don’t Wait Here for Me) (Live Debut), Hate Me Too, King Whatever(Live Debut), Same Graves, Don’t Let Go
The Dropkick Murphys brought their St. Patrick’s Day Tour 2024 to the MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie on Monday, March 11. Those looking for a pot of gold got so much more. This was three bands joining together to form a punk shamrock.
The Scratch, from Dublin, opened the show. There was a reason the Dropkick Murphys asked them to join the tour. The Scratch is not a mild-mannered band from the Emerald Isle. From behind his percussion kit, Daniel Lang led the band on what can only be called “The Scratch” sound. Joining Lang on stage were Conor Dockery (guitar, backing vocals), Cathal McKenna (bass/backing vocals), and Jordan O’Leary (guitar, lead vocals) for a non-stop power set.
The Scratch
Pennywise, playing in the middle spot, just let it loose. They played loud and hard. Even cranking up a version of the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right.” Many Pennywise fans were on hand singing, dancing, even creating a mini mosh pit. Being California-based did not put a damper on the night’s Irish overtones; it stoked them.
Pennywise
If The Scratch filled the tank with gas, and Pennywise started the engine, the Dropkick Murphys put the pedal to the metal. The band exploded onto the stage with a mission in mind. Considered Celtic Punk, or maybe it’s U2 meets Green Day, in either case, it was explosive.
Dropkick Murphys St. Patricks 2024
Front man Ken Casey lit the fuse for the Murphys. He was non-stop, traversing the stage from end to end. Continuously reaching his hand out, encouraging everyone to join along in the revelry.
Being a Monday night did not diminish the energy. Crowd surfing and singing were the norm. Early in the set, a wedding proposal added to this night of Irish joy. Band members moved from guitars to banjos to accordion, tin whistle to bagpipes as the two-hour, 22-song set marched on.
Dropkick Murphys
Proclaiming they are a band for the working-class and not afraid to share their political beliefs, the band performed Woody Guthrie’s “Gotta Get to Peekskill.” “Dirty Old Town” followed, paying tribute to the late Shane MacGowan of the Pogues. The songs allowed the crowd to capture its spiritual breath before kicking the night back into overdrive.
The set featured “The Boys are Back” and “Rose Tattoo,” encoring with “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,” and closing out with “Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced.” Celtic punk has been around for a while. The Dropkick Murphys are making sure it lives on.
On Thursday March 14, Dark Star Orchestra (DSO) kicked off their Spring 2024 Tour at Utica’s Stanley Theatre. DSO has been performing continuously for 26 years paying tribute to The Grateful Dead. Known for playing The Dead’s actual concert setlists DSO treated the Utica Deadhead faithful to their own uniquely crafted setlist.
The show opened with classic Grateful Dead opening song “Cold Rain and Snow” which featured all seven DSO musicians on stage. Vocalist Lisa Mackey left the stage for the Bob Weir classic “Black Throated Wind”. Balloons and some varying scents began to fill the air when the band broke into the standard “Deep Ellum Blues”, a song covered by Jerry Garcia’s solo projects as well as The Grateful Dead. Part of the fun of DSO shows is to guess what Grateful Dead concert they may be playing.
Discover Grateful Dead shows from over the years across New York State with our interactive map below
After “Deep Ellum Blues” there was a lot of chatter in the crowd about what show this could possibly be. Keyboardist Rob Barraco switched from piano to organ and the band kicked into the opening riffs of The Dead’s 80’s rarity “My Brother Esau”. It seemed as if there was a collective epiphany from the crowd that We were in the midst of an original DSO setlist. “I like how they did their own set list and how they have the low energy and then bring in the high energy.” Said Debbie Rathbun. The band next slowed things down with the Hunter/Garcia ballad “So Many Roads” featuring Jeff Mattson on lead guitar and vocals. This was one of those “close your eyes moments” in which Mattson’s guitar tone and phrasing was beautiful and so spot on to Garcia’s. DSO kept it mellow following up with the Brent Mydland song “We Can Run”, sung by Rob Barraco. Earlier in March Barraco performed two shows with original Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh celebrating Lesh’s 84th birthday at The Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY.
DSO continued to mix Grateful Dead favorites, rarities and Jerry Garcia Band staples in set 2. The first deep jam of the night came shortly after the opening song, “Help on The Way”. The instrumental “Slipknot!” showed off DSO’s prowess, tightness and put on display live in Utica why they are the world’s premiere Dead tribute. “Franklin’s Tower” seemed to have the entire crowd inside the beautiful Stanley Theatre on their feet. The band sounded fresh and really seemed to be having fun with smiles abound. Rob Eaton delivered Bob Weir’s “Corrina” with ferocity and passion. The band continued to groove and segway from song to song eventually turning over the stage to Dino English and Rob Koritz for a lengthy, trance-like “Drums”; a staple of The Grateful Dead experience. Set 2 concluded with “One More Saturday Night”, appropriate after a night of weekend energy on a Thursday Night.
The Rolling Stones “Honky Tonk Women” was the lone encore, capping off a night of fun, song surprises, reminiscing and originality in Utica from the world’s number one Grateful Dead tribute.
Dark Star Orchestra – The Stanley Theatre, Utica, NY – March 14, 2024
Set 1: Cold Rain and Snow, Black Throated Wind, Deep Elem Blues, My Brother Esau, So Many Roads, We Can Run, Midnight Moonlight, Box of Rain, Greatest Story Ever Told, Shakedown Street
Set 2: Help on the way > Slipknot > Franklin’s tower> Corrina > Crazy Fingers > Uncle John’s Band > Drums and Space > UJB reprise > Lonesome and a Long Way From Home > Saint of Circumstance > China Doll > One More Saturday Night
Bar Italia made their highly anticipated return to NYC with a cigarette-tinged concert at Warsaw in Brooklyn on March 15. Touring with their new album, The Twits, and making their way across the US to their Coachella debut, the band gave one of their best performances to date. The band entered the stage cast in warm, low-key lighting to an ecstatic crowd and filled the room with guitar buzz and imagery-filled lyrics.
The British shoegaze/post-punk trio, signed to Matador Records, includes Sam Fenton and Jezmi Fehmi of Double Virgo and singer-songwriter Nina Cristante. They formed in 2020 to instant recognition but stayed away from the press until late last year, even keeping their names hidden from fans. This garnered them a mysterious image that they are now attempting to shed. They also added a new drummer, Liam Toon, just days before the show.
The band has garnered a strong following in New York after making two trips from the UK last year. For an international band of their size, they have made a particular effort to play in NYC, and it has paid off for them, as Friday’s show was more than packed with eager fans. Now they’re off to continue across the US, eventually making stops on the West Coast, including two days at Coachella.
Opening for them was Scarlet Rae, a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter who did a great job of setting the tone for the show and got a lively reaction from the crowd.
It’s a feat how Bar Italia can get a crowd moving and cheering without almost any audience interaction. They uttered about 10 words between songs the entire show, but the audience was there for the music, and the music was electric. That’s not to say the band was closed off. They were full of smiles the whole night and didn’t hold back, showing a lot of emotion on stage.
The interaction between the trio’s vocals formed a texture that cannot be compared to any other act. Sam Fenton and Jezmi Fehmi’s distorted guitar riffs reverberated through the venue as they played “My Little Tony,” wallowing in their dramatic vocals before being lifted up by Nina Cristante and her tambourine in the chorus. The song’s lyrics connect deeply, focusing on imagery that conjures small, intimate scenes that convey displeasure for how our generation has learned to socialize.
They capped off the main set with “World’s Greatest Emoter,” a song title referencing an interview in which Liam Payne described actor Will Smith as the “world’s best emoter” after he slapped the comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. The room was pounding with this song, and it only got more intense as they faked the audience out, ending the song multiple times, only to drop right back in seconds later at twice the volume. This was a highlight for the band’s new drummer, Liam Toon, whose skilled playing helped balance the song’s instrumentation with the song’s dense vocals and guitar.
The crowd was feverish by the time the band said thank you and walked off stage, only to walk back on moments later unceremoniously. The band capitalized on this, playing three of their most popular songs. They capped the concert off with “Skylinny,” which had the entire crowd of 1,100 people chanting, “Run-a-runaway, Run-a-runaway.”
This was the kind of concert that made you stop for a minute after to take in your surroundings and breathe. Hopefully, Coachella brings good things for Bar Italia because we are sure NY would be happy to welcome them back whenever they feel like hopping the pond again.
Bar Italia – Warsaw, Brooklyn – March 15, 2024
Setlist: Friends, my little tony, calm down with me, Real house vibes (desperate house vibes), twist, Jelsy, Brush w Faith, harpee, Nurse!, punkt, glory hunter, my kiss era, Polly Amour, worlds greatest emoter
In a brief preface to Saturday’s performance at VBI Theatre of Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center in Poughkeepsie, 84-year-old free jazz legend Joe McPhee told the crowd that ‘no plan was the plan’ and that those in attendance would enjoy a performance that had never happened before and would never happen again.
Alternating between saxophone soloist, spoken-word beat poet, and band conductor, McPhee held true to that promise, leading the unconventional 10-piece group in an hour of adventurous free improvisation that drew on chamber music influences and the avant-garde as much as it did on the blues.
A Poughkeepsie native who lectured on jazz at Vassar College in the early 70s, McPhee is the connective tissue to the great saxophone innovators of the past. In his poetry, he namechecked John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Albert Ayler. Before the show, McPhee joked that he always backs out of playing in his hometown, but that show organizer and electric guitarist James Keepnews just kept at him until the gig was scheduled. Kudos to Keepnews for making it happen.
The ensemble featured two basses (Michael Bisio of the Matthew Shipp trio and the masterful Hilliard Greene), cellist Daniel Levin, guitarists Keepnews and Billy Stein, violists Judith Insell and late-addition Fung Chern Hwei, and violinists Rosi Hertlein and Gwen Laster. McPhee noted that he had met some of the musicians that very day and that they’d had only a brief rehearsal. In other words, in this first of the 2024 Elysium Furnace Works concert series, anything could happen.
McPhee is a commanding presence on stage. In his red Puma sneakers, cap, and stylish vest, he looked 20 years younger than his age and he did an excellent job directing the group so that everyone wasn’t stepping all over each other. McPhee’s performance was also a kind of balancing act between recounting poetry, soloing on saxophone, and directing traffic.
The performance kicked of with McPhee’s line of poetry: “The sound begins.” He cued Rosi Hertlein to accompany him and her vocalizations and technique recalled the visionary deep listening stylings of Pauline Oliveros. “The sound surrenders to itself,” recited McPhee, “and becomes the place where the meeting begins.”
As the night progressed, Joe McPhee featured small groups of musicians. Bisio, Levin, and Stein all stood out for their contributions and innovative rhythmic bowing techniques. Then at times, McPhee would call for all of the players to improvise, leading to a beautiful cacophony. Then the sound entered the stratosphere when McPhee played his horn.
McPhee’s great gift is incredibly similar to his idol Ayler: though he can play atonally, sing through the horn, or play piercing overtones, the essence of his playing is rooted in a kind of spiritual blues that is more sensitive and melodic than other percussive players. Perhaps this is why his poem and piece “New Chicago Blues” may have connected best with the audience. At one time each of the ten members of the stage was playing his or her own version of the blues – this was no 12-bar nightclub band, but an expression of deep blues and immediacy that transcended meter and time while still honoring everything a listener knows about the genre. It was powerful, wild, and rare stuff. It appeared the show was being recorded, so hopefully it will be released by McPhee in the future – but knowing his ethos, he’s probably already on to the next thing.
But it takes real talent to look forward while also recognizing your link to the past. In the course of an evening, McPhee namechecked everyone from Duke Ellington to Sun Ra to his recently departed friend Peter Brotzmann who told him in a final email that they were “same age, different color, but brothers in soul. Stay straight, old friend.” It was a humbling realization that most of McPhee’s contemporaries aren’t around anymore, and it was a reminder of what a gift it is to see him in such fine form in 2024.
McPhee originally learned the trumpet in his youth, but it was the music of Albert Ayler that inspired him to pick up the saxophone. On only his second day owning the instrument, McPhee went to a jam session at the National Cafe on Main Street, and was kicked out by all the other musicians. As he forged ahead on the free jazz scene, it took a long time for McPhee to gain acceptance, and he rarely found it in Poughkeepsie where he worked a factory job to help fund trips to Europe. There his free jazz approach was appreciated and he met such luminaries at Cecil Taylor.
Joe McPhee is currently working on a memoir with Hudson Valley author (and Elysium Furnace Works show-promoter) Mike Faloon called Straight Up, Without Wings: The Musical Flight of Joe McPhee which will be published by Corbett vs. Dempsey upon completion. In recent years labels like Corbett vs. Dempsey and Superior Viaduct have been instrumental in releasing McPhee’s new music and reissuing classic releases from the HatHut label.
For those looking to dip their toes into McPhee’s experimental music, there’s no better place to start than 1970’s Nation Time. Originally released by the Poughkeepsie independent label CjR, original copies are extremely rare and collectible in jazz vinyl circles, but reissues have revived interest in the record and are readily available. But, McPhee is hardly about mining the past – he’s always doing something new and expressing his ultimate belief that “music is love and love is music”. At 84, he still has much to say in his poetry and through his horn.
On Wednesday, March 13, a hungry crowd packed into Empire Live on North Pearl Street for the Disco Biscuits, currently on tour ahead of the release of Revolution in Motion, Part 1, due out on March 29.
The show marked a return to a smaller venue in Albany, instead of the Palace Theatre, where the Philadelphia trance-fusion pioneers have played 7 times, dating back to 2004. The 1,000 capacity Empire Live offered a club feel to the show, an underground vibe where fans of the Biscuits could gather and dance to nearly three and a half hours of live electronic jams. For a night, this was Albany, New York’s hottest club, and even with sightlines what they are, the crowd carried on and enjoyed the mid-week throw down late into the night.
Opening up with “Morph Dusseldorf,” the twists came early with samples of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” dropped into the nascent “Morph” jam, honoring a fan’s birthday request and offering a glimpse of untzgrass, at long last. “Triumph” slipped in next, giving way to 30 glorious minutes of “Save the Robots” leeching into the ending of “Astronaut,” giving way to an inverted version of the fan favorite. A resounding “Suspended in the Air” middle section of “Astronaut” was particularly blissful, while the ending section was peppered by another sample, this time Tone Loc’s “Funky Cold Medina,” with the middle-age crowd nodding at each other upon recognition of the now 35-year old song.
After a standard 30 minute setbreak, the Biscuits returned with “M.E.M.P.H.I.S.,” venturing out into a spacious jam that found its way into the end of “Naeba,” which would be the second inverted song of the night. The slow churn into the song, as well as the stretched out ending were disco bliss, had plenty of room for improv as well as to dance – this was not a coincidance.
A Tractorbeam version (instrumental) of recent debut “Dino Baby” followed and made way to “Another Plan of Attack,” the two songs being the newest songs of the night, following nearly two hours of old school songs. With sampling becoming commonplace this tour, another surprise in the form of “Hella Good” from No Doubt was found in parts of “Another Plan of Attack,” and while this could have been the end of the night, the Biscuits whisked their way into a 36-minute “I-Man” that had twists and turns and the crowd fist pumping along well past midnight.
An encore featuring the recently released “Spaga’s Last Stand” was all that was left in this deep tank of electronica improvisation, where we find the Biscuits at the top of their game.
The Disco Biscuits will be back in New York on March 29 at Webster Hall for the album release show, followed by two nights at Town Ballroom in Buffalo over March 30 and 31.
Setlist via Biscuits Internet Project Disco Biscuits – Empire Live – Albany, NY – March 13, 2024 Soundcheck: Magellan, Wet Set 1: Morph Dusseldorf 1, Triumph > Save The Robots > Astronaut 2 3 > Save The Robots Set 2: M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Naeba 2 > Dino Baby 4 > Another Plan of Attack 5 > I-Man Encore: Spaga’s Last Stand 1 with ‘Jolene’ (Dolly Parton) samples 2 inverted 3 with ‘Funky Cold Medina’ (Tone Loc) samples 4 Tractorbeam version (instrumental) 5 with ‘Hella Good’ (No Doubt) teases
On the New York City night of February 23, Chelsea Cutler sold out her first ever Radio City Music Hall headline show. Nearly 6,000 New Yorkers wrapped around the Midtown blocks, adorned in Cutler-inspired sneakers, jerseys, and “vintage” Cutler merch. The energy circulating from city to city on “The Beauty Is Everywhere Tour” finally arrived in Manhattan, and it was well-received.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
The evening began with an opening performance from the New York City native group, Yoke Lore. Lead singer Adrian Galvin exclaimed how gracious he was to be on stage at “the most beautiful venue.” Galvin and drummer, Rafe Bouchard, warmed up the rapidly filling auditorium with their folk-pop discography. He sang crowd favorites like “Beige,” and “Shake,” and thrashed his limbs in a feral yet simultaneously elegant dance. Yoke Lore also performed one his favorite childhood songs, “Truly Madly Deeply,” which felt like an unveiled sentiment to playing at Radio City.
After Yoke Lore departed, Radio City’s iconic velvet curtains lowered to the stage floor. Behind them, stage crew shadows danced in a fit of productive motion, bringing Chelsea’s stage to life. It wasn’t long before the lights dimmed, hushing everyone’s conversations into a silence of excitement, and the curtains lifted to reveal the massive stage.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
White scalloped arches framed a platform with a miniature catwalk where a microphone waited at the end. A drum set, guitar setup, and Chelsea’s signature sound board accessorized the stage. Retro strobe lights at the base of the stage, casting long shadows over the audience while synth swallowed the space, and an intro-audio oding to the beauty in everything carried up to the mezzanine.
At the close of the audio, Chelsea appeared on stage. Her song “Something More” was the perfect opening song, and a great introduction to the yearn and desperation behind her record “Stellaria.”
Stellaria’s production grade is too large to be put in the confines of a single “type” of music. Chelsea really tapped into her personal writing style, and introduced her fans to the story-telling air of folk music. Instrumentally, the record is versatile – it relies on Cutler’s usual mastery of percussion and riffs, while also introducing more twang carrying sounds, and displays a phenomenal usage of synth. Radio City was the perfect venue to hold room for the performance of “Stellaria.”
After her first few songs “I Don’t Feel Alive” and one of her crowd-favorites, “Cold Showers,” Chelsea couldn’t contain her excitement. She stopped to acknowledge how “pretty fucking cool” it was to be playing Radio City. “It’s a Friday night in the city I call home! New York City, how are you doing?” The crowd erupted, charging Cutler’s amped energy.
Cutler spoke casually with the audience, like they were all just chilling together at a party she was hosting. “There are a few important things to talk about. One, I’m a bit of a sneakers girl, but tonight… I’m wearing loafers! Two, my mom just got a hip replacement and she is here tonight!” The crowd applauded Mama Cutler.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
On tour in celebration of “Stellaria,” Chelsea Cutler is fortifying her already established fanbase. Having been in the music industry since her college days, Chelsea is ever-evolving as a musician, bridging an experimental gap between genres. The community at the foot of her sound has only grown, as she’s planted her voice in the genres of folk-americana, pop, and continues to water her roots in electronic exploration. Her willingness to try something new grows her listener count album by album.
Cutler’s fanbase is composed of a large listener demographic. Fans of multiple genres, fans of all ages, and fans from the LGBTQ+ community. A Chelsea Cutler show has always been the friendliest and most welcoming environment, and it was heart-warming to see that energy occupying a notorious space like Radio City.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
The show rolled into some of Chelsea’s archives from albums “When I Close My Eyes” and “Sleeping With Roses II.” Songs like “Easy” and “AF1s” elicited a surefire singalong from the audience.
Sewn around two of her newer songs dealing with the weight of self-reflection “Hunting Season” and “Growing Up Is Hard,” were two of her older songs “NJ” and “Crazier Things,” two songs written with romantic grief. The parallel lines running beside each other added an intensity to the performance.
Halfway through the setlist, stage crew rolled out a rickety wooden piano and Cutler’s incredibly talented bandmates, drummer Michael Mason and keys player J.T. Becker stepped back to make room for an acoustic set that wrapped with her song “Hotel June.” Acoustic sets deeply favor Cutler’s flutey tonal ability, allowing her range to take up more sonic space.
The lights dimmed and the piano was pulled from the stage to make the transition into a different sector of her sound. When the lights flashed back into motion Cutler reappeared to sing two of her hits “Sad Tonight” and “The Reason.” “The Reason,” from “Sleeping With Roses” is a staple at a Chelsea Cutler concert, with one of the most electrifying instrumental choruses to ever drop.
After a few more tracks, the show closed with one of Chelsea’s most received single releases, “The Lifeboat’s Empty.” The seated structure of Radio City couldn’t contain the fans, as they jumped and pushed into the aisles. It was the perfect send off song, before Chelsea ran backstage.
Overhead, the lights turned on but Chelsea Cutler fans knew better than to assume the show’s over. It wasn’t long before reappeared on stage for an encore. She acoustically performed her most recent song of transcendence, “Your Bones.” The audience took matters into their own hands, singing the chorus as Chelsea sat back in awe.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
The evening closed with another track from “Brent,” “This Is How You Fall In Love.” The lyrics felt like an ode to her fans, her tour, and the earned chance to perform at Radio City. As the slow and melodic sound came to an abrupt close, Chelsea’s outro song “Paper Planes” took over the speaker and she exited the stage with the widest smile. The audience collectively sang along as they filed out of the auditorium.
Photograph by Shauna Hilferty
“The Beauty is Everywhere Tour” has been a true display of enjoyment, passionate songwriting, vocal maturity, and Cutler’s self-acceptance as a human being. This record has done great things for listeners and for Chelsea herself, and a sold out Radio City Music Hall is a symbol of that achievement.
The project behind this tour is a display of the cleanse that comes with the discomfort of acceptance. Acceptance of one’s self, acceptance of the mundane, acceptance of the past/present/and future. Acceptance sometimes feels otherworldly, like a transformance. This is what “The Beauty is Everywhere Tour” has been for Cutler – an artistic exploration of the space between one’s existence and their sound.
On Thursday March 14, Offset took his “SET IT OFF” tour to the Palladium in Times Square for its third stop. The rapper enlisted a strong group of up and coming artists to warm up the crowd before his performance.
Offset at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil
The first rising talent of the night was YRN Mango Foo, followed by SleazyWorld Go and then Skilla Baby. Skilla took it upon himself to enter the mosh pit and perform most of his set from the crowd. In between songs, Skilla would have the fans chant four simple words: “I will have fun,” until late in his set where he sang a cover of FUN.’s “We Are Young” while in the mosh pit. After the openers, Hot 97’s own Funk Flex took the stage to perform a DJ set. Flex’s song choices and comedic adlibs ensured the crowd was ready for Offset to take the stage.
Skilla Baby at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil
Offset opened with a plethora of songs from his new album, specifically: “Say My Grace,” “Fan,” “Broads Day,” “Big Dawg,” and “On the River.” With a live band behind and a set of stairs streaming down the center of the stage, there was never a dull moment. Offset had backup dancers and high energy throughout the entire show.
Offset at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil
Offset decided to give New York a taste of their own music. He brought out Brooklyn rap group 41 as well as Bronx artist Cash Cobain. 41 and Cash Cobain both brought a great representation of New York rap to the stage.
But Offset had one more special guest to round off the night. Near the end of the show, Offset and his DJ were talking back and forth saying, “we still gotta do it for New York,” before, abruptly, the beat to A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s “My Shit” started playing, and a few seconds later, A Boogie himself joined Offset on stage. The Bronx rapper performed “My Shit” and “Drowning” for his hometown crowd, sporting a Yankees cap and a Highbridge chain.
A Boogie Wit da Hoodie at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil
Offset ended the night with some of his older classics, “Motorsport,” “Narcos,” “Clout,” “Ric Flair Drip,” and “Bad and Boujee.” Tickets for the rest of the “SET IT OFF” tour are available here.
Offset at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil
Offset setlist: Say My Grace, Fan, Broad Day, Big Dawg, On the River, Danger, Ghostface Killers, Rap Saved Me, Legacy, No Complaints, Patek Water, 100 Racks, Monday, Hop Out, Skyami, Don’t You Lie, Zeze, Worth It, Fight Night, Call Casting, Last Memory, Motorsport, Narcos, Clout, Ric Flair Drop, Bad n Boujee
Offset (left) and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie (right) at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil
Offset Upcoming Tour Dates Fri Mar 15; Boston, MA; Citizens House of Blues Boston Sun Mar 17; Toronto, ON; HISTORY Tue Mar 19; Detroit, MI; The Fillmore Detroit Wed Mar 20; Grand Rapids, MI; GLC Live at 20 Monroe Fri Mar 22; Cincinnati, OH; Bogart’s Sat Mar 23; Chicago, IL; Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom Wed Mar 27; Denver, CO; Fillmore Auditorium Fri Mar 29; Los Angeles, CA; Hollywood Palladium Sat Mar 30; San Francisco, CA; The Masonic Mon Apr 1; Anaheim, CA; House of Blues Anaheim Wed Apr 3; Phoenix, AZ; The Van Buren Fri Apr 5; Dallas, TX; South Side Ballroom Sun Apr 7; Houston, TX; Bayou Music Center
Skilla Baby at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas KurzweilOffset at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas KurzweilOffset at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas KurzweilA Boogie Wit da Hoodie at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas KurzweilYRN Mango Foo Go at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas KurzweilYRN Mango Foo Go at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas KurzweilSleazyworld Go at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas KurzweilOffset at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil41 at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas KurzweilSleazyworld Go at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas KurzweilOffset at Palladium Times Square. Photo by Lucas Kurzweil
EDM producer Kaivon returned to Buffalo on March 8 performing at his largest venue to date in Western NY, Town Ballroom. The melodic bass artist got to perform is latest tunes off of his 2024 album Ultraviolet.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Local talent Electric Dad and ZWAAN kicked off this night of future bass music. This was followed by Drezo. LA-based producer Drezo introduced the crowd to a style of G-House which pays homage to hip-hop elements. He brings those rap mixes that everyone knows blended with his bold beats.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Then the transformative artist known as Kaivon brought an uplifted vibe as soon as he stepped on the stage. His visuals instantly give a euphoric feel especially with the use of colorful lighting.
Even though Kaivon is loved for his melodic heartfelt songs he still designates sections of his set for lovers of heavy dubstep. The way he can make people teary eyed from his mix of Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” and then headbang right after to the following song is why so many people keep coming back to a Kaivon set.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Kaivon’s performance brings attention to the parts of life people love most. His set is meant to reconnect the crowd and bring a nostalgic feel. He does this through powerful visuals and several mixes of popular songs. Artists he mixed into his set included Paramore, Rufus Du Sol, The Fray, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Finally getting to hear songs for the first time off of his sophomore album Ultraviolet was a euphoric feeling. Especially with the performance of “Pretty” which gets everyone in their feels with its angelic rhythm. This only grew more when he performed his throwback fan favorite song, “I Love You.”
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
Kaivon’s shows bring a unique force to EDM culture. He is a reminder of why living in the present moment is so important. He creates a space that grounds people and invites people to reborn in a positive framework.
Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty
These next few weeks are packed with EDM shows in Western NY that you don’t want to miss. INZO performs on March 15 and Excision has a double header at Buffalo Riverworks the following week. Get your tickets here.
March has been busy for bassist birthdays at the illustrious Capitol Theater in Port Chester, a sign of New York’s thriving jam scene. The month opened with an 84 birthday celebration and a five-show residency for rock legend and Grateful Dead founding bassist Phil Lesh and will close out with a show honoring jam scene newcomer Sarah Elaz.
The March 27 performance will put Elaz’s eponymous “Sarah Elaz’s Almost Phish” in high company, reaching a venue she has worked hard to reach. Off the stage, Sarah is a double threat working behind the scenes as a booker and promoter. On International Women’s Day, we spoke with Sarah about her journey.
Onstage with Sarah Elaz’s Almost Phish at Brooklyn Made. Photograph by Taylor Weinberg.
Sarah Elaz has accepted certain realities about the music industry and has found a rhythm as she builds a name for herself. Faced with a pivot from a career as a professional dancer, Sarah, like many others, found that “getting into the music industry isn’t that easy, it doesn’t have a simple path.”
As a neophyte in the industry, Sarah has built a network of connections through hard work. To support her career as a professional dancer, she started waitressing at City Winery, where she would work her way backstage to a position coordinating artist hospitality. Now, Elaz is a talent buyer at MRG Live. While her focus is music, sticking with her commitment to genera-spanning Elaz also books comedy shows for acts like Modi Rosenfeld and Kyle Gordon.
Asked how being a musician influences her work as a booker, she said it “makes [her] more empathetic and able to anticipate and understand artists’ needs.” In an industry where band’s touring margins can be a razor thing, having that reflective understanding of tour budgets has benefited Elaz in building trust. Recently she booked the shows in the great white north of Canada for Connecticut jam bands Eggy and the L.A.-based Thumpasaurus. Elaz is dedicated to sowing the seeds of a jam scene in Toronto, organizing “The Grateful Jam” an open jam focused on improvised psychedelic rock.
Off the clock, Sarah can be found playing in a half-dozen projects at any given time, from collaborating on original work with the Brooklyn jam band Boojum to enthralling crowds with her eponymous Phish tribute act and playing with newcomer acts like Katzroar. When live music returned after the pandemic, Elaz would gig at any opportunity, but she has grown more selective, focusing on the improvisational-oriented music that has always inspired her. She has won that privilege by “playing as many gigs with as many people as she can until afforded the luxury of saying no.”
For Elaz, that insistent need to perform has its benefits; playing across genres and “playing a pop show, a punk show, a jam show, with people of all ages and experience makes you learn faster and play better, plus now you know all these other musicians you can work.”
Onstage, in costume, at Brooklyn Bowl with Boojum. Photograph by Taylor Weinberg.
Elaz, a Massachusetts native, has found a “partner in New York” after she moved to pursue her career in dance. She doesn’t see herself leaving the city any time, in part because of the density of standout music venues. While the Brooklyn Bowl is her favorite in the city, the Bowery Ballroom was another standout (in part due to it’s proximity to nearby Katz’s Deli).
Elaz’s love for the jam music she prefers to perform could be genetic, inherited from a sister 15 years her senior. Some of Sarah’s first memories of Phish come from her sisters’ return from a summer tour. That inspiration led Elaz to Limewire to download whatever Phish and Dead tapes she could come across. It was a show in 2018 where watching Phish’s Mike Gordon inspired Elaz to pick up bass, saying, “watching him play up close, it looked like it made sense. I understood it wasn’t easy, but it seemed intuitive.” Now Elaz compares playing bass to her professional experience as a dancer, “it’s all about finding the groove and keeping in it. Any note or move can be intentional if it’s in the groove.”
Speaking with Elaz’s mentor and occasional instructor, Dan Kelley of Neighbor, he commented how “passion for the art” is what drove Sarah’s success rapid achievement in picking up the bass.
An eight-year-old Sarah Elaz enthusiastically greets her sister returning from Phish tour.
Image is essential for an artist, and while Sarah can be found sporting her iconic sparkling amethyst Music Man bass, that isn’t always enough. Elaz acknowledges that as a female performer, she feels pressure to have a new look for every show. Finding a silver lining, she notes how rental services like Nuuly allow her to be creative without adding to fast fashion waste. “It’s another creative outlet for me, fashion becomes another part of the performance”
For Sarah, the pressure of sexism as a musician is more overt, from the lecherous fans who are bold enough to grab at the musicians onstage to the more banal, like audio techs who assume Sarah to be a fan of whatever band she performs in.
Behind the scenes, Sarah says the situation is more egalitarian, noting that “I am lucky to have so many examples of women above me who I look up to” with the quip that “I hope there’s no glass ceiling to that.”
