Just prior to Thanksgiving, the Disco Biscuits wrapped up their final tour of 2024, with shows in Rome and Buffalo. Over the next few weeks, the band enters the studio and have four final shows to close 2024 out.
photo by Pete Mason
Held at the Capitol Theatre in Rome, situated just west of Utica, the venue has been open since 1928, originally part of a chain of movie houses and screening films through 1974. The venue reopened in 1985 as the Capitol Civic Center, when live music and theatrical performances were offered in addition to classic films.
The show in Rome – a first for the band, and at the ‘other’ Capitol Theatre – was a high point from the start, with a 27-minute “Magellan” opening the show. Feeling rarer these days, “Magellan” hit home with the veteran fans in the audience, many of whom made the Upstate trio of shows a weekend adventure.
With the energy shifting out of “Cyclone,” a peak jam of the first set arose in “Times Square,” before passing the torch to “Bombs,” a once-shelved fan favorite that was brought back in May 2021 thanks to a fan request. “Shelby Rose” rounded out the first frame of music, which was full of songs for the older heads in attendance this evening.
Set 2 opened with the slow burn of “Fire Will Exchange,” setting forth a 95-minute torrent of music. This opening 25-minute version was patient as it built and ended up giving way to a full version of “Shem-Rah Boo” that clocked in at over a half-hour, “No Rain” tease and all.
Less than a month old, the Disco Biscuits version of Richard Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathrusta” is a hybrid of “Orch Theme” and Phish’s own version, “2001,” but this industrial version of “Also Sprach Zarathrusta” is nothing like what Strauss or your average Phish fan would expect. Darker, heavier and exploring the darkness between ascendent peaks, this “ASZ” in the industrial/classical crossover we didn’t know we needed.
Sandwiched in between “ASZ” were “No Recollection” and “Catalyst,” each keeping the fire burning in the set, and bringing it to an exultant finish. And with under 10 minutes left to wrap the show up, the band opted to stay old school with “Rock Candy” in the encore slot, and the show ended promptly before 11pm.
Disco Biscuits – Rome Capitol Theatre – Rome, NY – Friday, November 22, 2024
Soundcheck: The Very Moon -> Sirens Sing
Set 1: Magellan > Cyclone > Times Square > Bombs > Shelby Rose
Set 2: Fire Will Exchange > Shem-Rah Boo1 > Also Sprach Zarathustra > No Recollection> Catalyst > Also Sprach Zarathustra
Encore: Rock Candy 1 with âNo Rainâ (Blind Melon) teases
While NYS Music was not on hand for the Buffalo shows the next two nights, the two shows are each an adventure in their own right. Saturday night’s show features a reworked “Sirens Sing” (formerly, “The Champions”) with an inverted “Munchkin Invasion” in the second set.
Disco Biscuits – The Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY – Saturday, November 23, 2024
Soundcheck: Little Lai, Rainbow Song, Frog Legs
Set 1: House Dog Party Favor > Grass Is Green 1 > Sirens Sing 2 > Falling 3 > House Dog Party Favor
Set 2: M.E.M.P.H.I.S. 4 > Trap Door 5 > Pimp Blue Rikki > Munchkin Invasion 1 > Floes
Sunday’s show was comprised of songs written by Joey Friedman over the last two years, in honor of his 500th show. The full show gives a faint picture of what to expect from the Biscuits time in the studio this month – get a full breakdown here via Relix.
2024 is nearly in the books and the Disco Biscuits barnburner of a tour is for now, to be continued.
Disco Biscuits – The Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY – Sunday, November 24, 2024
Soundcheck: Park Ave -> Running, Confrontation
Set 1: To Be Continued > Ring the Doorbell Twice > Country Royale 1 > One Chance To Save The World > Risky Business 1 > Another Plan of Attack 2
Set 2: The Wormhole > Twisted in the Road 3 > Dino Baby > Another Plan of Attack 2 > One Chance To Save The World > Photograph > To Be Continued
Encore: Buy The Time > Ring the Doorbell Twice 1 1st time inverted 2 dyslexic (ending first, then beginning) 3 inverted
Nearly a dozen Central New York songwriters gathered at the Capitol Theater in Rome on Sunday, November 10 to participate in Guitars Along the Mohawk. The musical showcase was a reboot of the popular Mohawk Vally television show which aired in the late 1980s. In keeping with tradition, the event was filmed for a future television release.
The event served as a benefit for the Capitol Theater. The picturesque theater, which opened in 1928, has been the beneficiary of a focused renovation project over the last several years, and remains a staple in the performing arts scene for the region.
Among the musicians performing on Sunday included Gridley Paige, Sydney Irving, Cassandra Harris-Lockwood with Mark Kelsey, Mark Macri with Ed Gotham, Justin Smithson, Katie Keating, Rocky Feola, Bill Carman with Scott Fleming, and Rose n’ Thorne. Ed Gorham and and Danny Holmes (Rose n Thorne) performed at the original event in 1987. Each act was given fifteen minutes to showcase their talents.
The Guitars Along the Mohawk television special will air in early 2025. Stay tuned for additional details.
Maybe Sunday officially released their sophomore EP entitled Tabula Rasa on August 23. This follows their debut EP, …Above The Trees released in 2020. This is the band’s first release since the departure of their original vocalist and songwriter.
Hailing from Rome, NY, Maybe Sunday currently consists of Bryan Honeywell on guitar and lead vocals, Nick Mellace on bass, Julie Grogan on keys and Jim Grogan on drums.
Photo Courtesy of Maybe Sunday
When speaking on the release, Grogan states “We like putting out EP’s because we feel we can get the attention of the listener and keep it for fifteen minutes or so.” This holds true as Tabula Rasa’s four tracks clock in at fourteen minutes. The EP was both recorded and mixed by Jeff Aderman at Big Blue North Recording Studio in Utica.
Tabula Rasa tackles themes of life, uncertainty, change and relationships to a backdrop of alternative rock fused with aspects of punk and psychedelia. They cite bands like The Who,The Cure, Genesis, The Replacements and Tragically Hip as some of their main influences. This alternative influence combined with their imaginative lyricism mesh to create the distinct sound that is Maybe Sunday.
Photo Courtesy of Maybe Sunday
They have a home-town EP Release Party on November 9th at Copper City Brewing Company in Rome, NY. The show starts at 7pm. You can find out more at maybesundayband.com
Tabula Rasa is currently available on all streaming services here.
Psychedelic blues and garage rock band The Dirty Pennies just released their first single in almost a year, “Bee Sting.” The nearly seven-minute track sees the group furthering their newer psychedelic sound, one that can be experienced live at one of their upcoming shows in Rochester and Rome, NY.
Initially formed as a gritty psych-influenced blues rock duo by Ryan Klem and Lucas Howe, The Dirty Pennies have evolved over the years, adding on Sean Doohan on bass and Doug Kelley on keys/synth to form the complete package they are today. Uniquely described by fans in many ways, like “a stoner rock project of The Beach Boys” or “early King Gizzard,” The Dirty Pennies have clearly succeeded in forming a unique sound that can’t be simply defined. As of recent, the band has leaned more heavily into their psychedelic influences, highlighted on their 2023 track, “Head Open,” and their newest single, “Bee Sting.”
“Bee Sting” sees The Dirty Pennies leaning more than ever into their psychedelic edge. Clocking in at about seven minutes, the track is a meandering journeyâone that takes its time but doesn’t overstay its welcome. The song covers the feelings of living in the modern world and how things can sometimes seem fine, despite them often not being. After a lengthy intro, the track kicks into full swing when the lyrics “four, three, two, one, and it’s going back” boldly enter, leading into the two short but sweet verses of the song. Around the halfway mark, the track opens up to a groovy guitar solo before eventually picking up to an even more intense solo and cutting off with an abrupt finish.
Although The Dirty Pennies only have one album to date, which was released in 2017, their recent singles have teased the progressive sound that they could potentially use in an evolutionary follow-up. But regardless of whether they put out a full album or keep releasing singles, The Dirty Pennies is certainly a band to keep an eye on.
The Dirty Pennies have a few upcoming shows across the state, one show in Rome, NY, and the other two in Rochester. See below for their dates and locations, and visit here for tickets and more information.
Upcoming The Dirty Pennies Shows
Aug 30th – Rock that River – Rome, NY Sept 6th – Radio Social w/ Continental Drifft – Rochester Oct 21st – Bug Jar (opening for Meatbodies) – Rochester
Fresh on the heels of their wildly successful Why We Dance Tour and its ongoing follow up tour, The Disco Biscuits are keeping the momentum going and have announced a run of shows in the Fall.
The shows will take place predominantly in the Northeast, but feature a Halloween run at The Caverns in Tennessee. The band will play Brooklyn Steel on November 9 with the next show scheduled for Bearsville Theatre in Woodstock on November 13.
The Fall Tour also includes The Disco Biscuits making return appearances to The Palladium in Worcester, MA on November 15 and the State Theatre in Portland, ME on November 16. The tour also rolls through Connecticut twice with shows in both Norwalk (November 14) and Hartford (November 20-21). And New York continues to get plenty of attention as well as the tour concludes with the final three shows here. The band will play Rome Capitol Theatre for the first time on November 22 before concluding the tour with two shows at Buffalo’s Town Ballroom where the band never seems to disappoint.
Both General Admission and VIP tickets for the Fall Tour go on sale tomorrow at 12 pm ET. The VIP package for this set of shows includes early entry to each venue with early access to merch, a pre-show private soundcheck an group photo with the band as well as a commemorative show ticket instead of the usual poster and a laminate. There’s also still one yet to be announced show for this tour on November 7 that falls between ones at Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore and the aforementioned Brooklyn Steel show. For tickets and more information on the band’s 2024 plans, visit discobiscuits.com.
Disco Biscuits Fall Tour Schedule
10/30 – Madison Theater – Covington, Ky. 10/31-11/2 – The Caverns – Pelham, Tenn. 11/3 – French Broad River Brewery – Asheville, N.C. 11/6 – Rams Head Live – Baltimore 11/7 – TBA 11/9 – Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, N.Y. 11/13 – Bearsville Theatre – Woodstock, N.Y. 11/14 – District Music Hall- Norwalk, Conn. 11/15 – The Palladium – Worcester, Mass. 11/16 – State Theatre – Portland, Maine 11/17 – Paramount Theatre – Rutland, Vt. 11/20-21 – Infinity Hall – Hartford, Conn. 11/22 – Rome Capitol Theatre – Rome, N.Y. 11/23-24 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, N.Y.
Central New York boasts a vibrant music scene with a diverse array of venues, offering everything from intimate live performances to large-scale concerts. These venues contribute to the region’s rich cultural tapestry, providing platforms for both local and national acts.
Glimmerglass Festival is found at Alice Busch Opera Theater as a professional non-profit summer opera company dedicated to producing new productions each season. The company continues its tradition of four new fully staged productions, now including three operas and one work of American musical theater, performed with full orchestra, large cast and no sound amplification. These four productions are supplemented by special performances, cabarets, concerts, lectures and symposiums throughout the season.
A 112-year-old orchard located just south of Syracuse in Lafayette, Beak and Skiff offers a tasting room, distillery and general store, plus a summer concert series that garnered great attention during the social distancing of 2020 and has continued to bring a strong number of artists to a scenic location in southern Onondaga County.
Black Oak Tavern has been a staple for the Central New York social scene for almost 50 years, priding itself on great drinks, a friendly atmosphere, and fantastic live events.
Crouse Hinds Theater – Mulroy Civic Center At Oncenter(Syracuse)
The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater contains one of the largest stages in Upstate New York. Symphoria performs concerts on its Masterworks and Pops series at this theater.
Cortland Beer Company has been a part of the scene in Historic Downtown Cortland for over a decade, serving as a popular music venue with indoor and outdoor stages.
Deep Diveâs mission is to provide a safe and inclusive space for artists, patrons, and staff, a neighborhood joint for all walks of people, showcasing a calendar of top-class, unique, and inspiring musicians and performers
This state-of-the-art facility comfortably seats up to 17,500 avid music lovers. The venue, managed by ASM Global and promoted by Live Nation, opened its gates on September 3rd, 2015.
The Folkus Project brings high-quality live acoustic music to Central New York audiences and nurtures the experience of community that live music creates.
Address: May Memorial UU Society, 3800 E. Genesee St., Syracuse 13214
The Hangar Theatre is a non-profit, regional theatre. Its mainstage season and children’s shows occur during the summer, but the Hangar, and other organizations, utilize the space year-round for special events.
The Homer Center for the Arts is known for hosting national music concerts, feature film screenings, a community theater program (Center Players) and showcase artwork by regional, national, and international visual artists in the art gallery. The Center also hosts classes, workshops and programs throughout the year, and adds to the economic vitality of Central New York.
Founded in 1976 by Greg Italiano, The Lost Horizon is one of the longest operational club-sized concert venues in Central New York, playing host to hardcore, hip-hop and variety acts on an irregular basis.
McGirks Irish Pub is a great restaurant for lunch, dinner, take-out, catering, with specials on beer, wine, spirits, and live music on Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
The Other Side is a Utica-based, not-for-profit organization committed to providing space for community initiatives. In addition to sponsoring its own musical, cultural, and social events, The Other Side is available to members of the community who wish to utilize it for yoga classes, musical gatherings, craft fairs, used-record sales, meditation groups, reading groups, and the like.
During the summer months, Saranac Brewery welcomes bands to perform on their outdoor stage, offering live music in the heart of downtown Utica. F.X. Matt Brewing Company is the fourth oldest family-owned brewery in the United States and serves up tasty beers during the shows, with an array of food options for each show.
Seven Of Jazz Lounge opened its doors on Jan. 5, 2023 with the goal of offering a ârelaxing environmentâ for those who want to listen to live music or even just hang out with friends. It is currently under renovations.
Having opened in 1969 as a small corner bar, Shifty’s has maintained its presence in the Lincoln Hill section of Syracuse, offering live music five nights a week, along with award winning wings and veteran staff.
Amid evergreens that create a cozy campground and the backdrop for incredible music, the home of Sterling Stage music festivals and other concerts since 1995, are offered on two unique stages. Welcoming families and kids of all ages, dogs, grills and coolers are permitted at Sterling Stage, with overnight camping included with all tickets.
The State Theatre of Ithaca is a historic, 1600-seat theatre located at Ithaca in Tompkins County, New York that hosts various events from bands, to plays, to comedy acts, to silent films, and more. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996
Located in the Southern Tier and close to the Pennsylvania border, this diamond in the rough serves a desert of live music, with rock and country acts performing each summer at Tag’s Summer Stage.
A 1920s speakeasy-style bar that is located in the cellar of Oh My Darling restaurant in Downtown Syracuse, The Fitz offers a variety of music to pair with craft cocktails in a unique space, located close to the Landmark Theatre for pre and post show music and libations.
A classic hunting lodge, now offering weddings and event space, The “G” Lodge welcomes events hosted by Hey Dude After Hours, who bring community-driven and family friendly music events, as well as summer and fall music festivals.
Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial (Syracuse)
The Upstate Medical University Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial is a multi-functional 7,000 seat venue with event space available on three levels, and home to the Syracuse Crunch, hosting concerts around the year.
The Westcott Theater is a 700-person multi-purpose concert venue in Syracuse’s Westcott neighborhood. Known for its cinema-style setting, the venue accommodates various genres but has particularly expanded its electronic music acts in recent years.
Wonderland Forest is more than just a forest: it has hiking trails, campgrounds, a wedding venue, and more recently, an outdoor music venue with various bands, food vendors, and other activities from across the United States. They have played host to the 50th anniversary of Summer Jam, Biscoland, Trey Anastasio, and many more concerts on tap for 2024.
Built on the site of Dopps Run, Dave Woods started Woods Valley in 1964, and Woods Valley Ski Area has been teaching families to ski for 60 years. Plenty of music can be found year round in the lodge, with performances by touring and regional bands peppering the calendar and warming up the nights after skiing the slopes at Woods Valley.
With solar eclipse events and preparations underway from Buffalo to Plattsburgh, one New York band, Annie in the Water, has been on a two-month long journey that will find the group performing during the totality on April 8.
Annie in the Water have been on a ‘Road to Totality’ tour since January, with stops around the Northeast, as well as a trip to Colorado for shows in Denver, Golden and Breckenridge. The longevity of the group and perseverance that led them to their current lineup and performance schedule has been noted by longtime fans, as well as new fans they’ve picked up along the way.
Following the Colorado shows, Annie in the Water returned back to New York for shows in Rochester and Syracuse, but a performance at Lark Hall was cancelled due to the snow storm over March 23-24. That show is now rescheduled for Friday, April 5, and making for a 4-show run that will catch the band playing in Sackets Harbor on April 6, where the duo of Brad Hester and Michael Lashomb first performed together. They then head south to Woods Valley Ski Area near Rome on April 7, then head north again towards the High Peaks, for a show on April 8 at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington.
When asked about playing during the totality of the solar eclipse, Matt Richards (keys/vocals) shared:
“Just as the eclipse reaches totality, I think myself and as a band will also reach a transient feeling of completeness. The hard work of scheduling, preparing for, and performing the tour will be complete. But just like the eclipse, that moment and feeling won’t last long and it will be onto the next phase for myself, the band, the moon, and the sun.”
After respite in April, the band will hit four music festivals in the first half of the summer, performing at Shakori Hills in North Carolina, Memorial Meltdown in Lake George, Sterling Stage Folkfest in Sterling, NY and Northlands Festival in New Hampshire in June. They’ll also be part of Twin Ponds Campground ‘3rd Thursday’ concert series this summer, where Backwoods Pondfest was held for many years, in Peru, NY.
Emo Orchestra, an orchestral group that specializes in combining with emo music, has announced their spring tour to take place beginning April 17, along with emo-rock band Escape the Fate. The groups will get together to perform their original tracks, as well as emo classics from bands like My Chemical Romance, Panic! At The Disco, and more.
Emo Orchestra in 2023
The tour will begin in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 17, and end May 24 in Portland, Oregon. Along the way, the acts will stop in New York for three dates. Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Rome Capitol Theatre, and Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts will all be visited on the tour.
“We are so grateful to have been invited by EO to participate in this tour, we have been on the road almost 20 years now so to do something this different and special is very exciting for us as artists and we hope it’s just as exciting for you. I can’t wait to meet and perform with a full orchestra and not only play our songs but some classic personal favorites of mine from other artists, don’t forget to dress fancy. Thank you, EO”
Craig Mabbitt of Escape the Fate
Escape the Fate
Emo Orchestra W/ Escape The Fate Tour Dates
4/17/2024 Cincinnati, OH – Brady Center
4/18/2024 Flint, MI – Capitol Theatre
4/19/2024 Cleveland, OH – TempleLive at Cleveland Masonic
4/20/2024 Carteret, NJ – Carteret Performing Arts Center
4/22/2024 Boston, MA – The Wilbur
4/23/2024 Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
4/25/2024 Troy, NY – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
4/26/2024 Rome, NY – Rome Capitol Theatre
4/27/2024 Patchogue, NY – Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts
5/09/2024 San Antonio, TX – Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
5/10/2024 Austin, TX – ACL Live at Moody Theater
5/11/2024 Plano,TX – Lexus Box Garden at Legacy Hall
5/12/2024 Wichita, KS – Orpheum Theatre
5/16/2024 Phoenix, AZ – Celebrity Theatre
5/18/2024 Los Angeles, CA – Orpheum Theatre
5/22/2024 Sacramento, CA – Crest Theatre
5/24/2024 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
Tickets are on sale now, so act fast. To find out more about the tour and to purchase tickets visit EmoOrchestra.com. To learn more about Escape the Fate visit their website, EscapeTheFate.com.
