On Aug. 31, Dispatch and the Boston Pops will conclude Tanglewood’s 2024 popular artist concert series.
Chad Urmston, Brad Corrigan, and Pete Heimbold formed their Indie band Dispatch in the 90’s as they were attending Middlebury College in Vermont. The band is most known for their songs “The General” and “Band Bang.” After Graduating, they relocated to Boston to further the band’s influence. In 2002, after six albums, the band thought Dispatch had come to an end and even performed a farewell concert in Boston Known as “The Last Dispatch” two years later.
Although the band did take a break from recording and creating music this wasn’t truly “The Last Dispatch.” They came together for multiple benefit concerts in the following years and in 2011 they announced their official reunion. Today, Corrigan and Urmston make up the band and in 2021 they released Break Our Fall.
Joining this indie jam band is Grenadian-Canadian jazz vocalist, Kaia Kater. Her music is a genre blend of Appalachian and Canadian folk. She started releasing music straight out of high school with her first EP Old Soul in 2013. Her most recent album Strange Medicine is a reflection of Kater’s life and a celebration of marginalized people.
Singing alongside these three artists are the Boston Pops who have performed several times throughout Tanglewood. This concert series located in the Berkshire mountains of Western Massachusetts is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and offers classical concerts as well as performances from contemporary artists.
To purchase tickets to Dispatch’s performance you can visit the Tanglewood website here.
Legendary blues rock guitarist and New York native, Joe Bonamassa brought his “Blues Deluxe Summer Tour” to the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. Most recently, Bonamassa released his newest effort Live At The Hollywood Bowl With Orchestraearlier this summer. Friday, Aug. 26 was the first of two back-to-back nights that Bonamassa rocked the “Original Rock Palace.”
With fans finding their seats in the nearly 100-year-old venue, Bonamassa and his band graced the stage and jumped right into “Hope You Realize” off of Bonamassa’s Blues Deluxe Vol. 2record. Since there was no opener this evening, it left the band with more time to play for their fans. From the moment the 11-piece band plugged their instruments in, their sheer power overtook the fans. For a blues band, they were certainly loud, but in the best way possible. The classic blues rock rang like joyful noise during the two-hour performance.
The official music video for Joe Bonamassa’s “I Want To Shout About It”
Bonamassa was firing on all cylinders. From the vocals to the guitar playing to his stage presence, he had it all. From the little he spoke during the night, he made up for it during his guitar masterclass. Watching Bonamassa play took the breath out of some fans’ bodies as they watched in awe. Some people in the crowd were recording on their phones while others air-guitared. Some simply watched stunned by the guitar hero in front of them.
Bonamassa’s backing band consisted of a horn section featuring saxophones and trumpets, three backing singers in addition to the drums, bass, rhythm guitar and keyboards. Within the band, the musicianship was top-notch. They all played their part and had a welcoming sound to them. At one point in the show, Bonamassa called his band family and that he respects them the most. To see a leader like Bonamassa praise the band behind him was amazing to see.
Within the band, the musicians as individuals were spectacular. The horn section added a uniqueness to the band while the backup singers added more beefiness to the vocals. At one point in the show, singer Jade MacRae had a solo during “Self Inflicted Wounds.” Listening to her vocals sent chills up and down the spines of the audience who cheered and applauded at the end.
For those who don’t know all the individual members of Bonamassa’s band, on percussion, to his left sat Reese Wynans. Wynans is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble. When he was introduced, the audience all rose to their feet to pay respects to the legendary keyboardist. But, throughout the night, Wynans was spinning back and forth on the keyboard giving the performance of a lifetime.
The show flowed effortlessly as each song slowly transitioned into the next. With each new song, came an even flashier guitar from Bonamassa who changed guitars for what seemed like every song. During a few songs, he would sport a beautiful Les Paul while other times it would be a classic telecaster or a gorgeous red Gibson. It did not matter which guitar was on stage because, by the end of the song, Bonamassa delivered an emotionally beautiful solo.
While the band was setting up for the next song, Bonamassa took the time to say a proper hello to the audience and clarify that he is a New York native which brought a cheer from the audience. Bonamassa then proceeded to thank everyone for showing up to a homecoming show. It seemed that once he acknowledged he was in front of his home state’s audience, then the show got even better. There was a sense of the audience also acknowledging that the legendary guitarist was playing in a legendary venue and it made for a spectacular rest of the evening.
The entire night of Joe Bonamassa and his band at the Capitol Theatre was one of the best ways to close out the summer concert season.
Of the seven shows that remain on Bonamassa’s schedule, four are in New York. On Saturday, Aug. 24 he’ll be right back at the Capitol Theatre which is followed by a date in Rochester on Aug. 25 and Albany on Aug. 27. If you are a fan of blues rock and roll then you have to go see Bonamassa. It was a magical night of nothing but essential blues music.
Joe Bonamassa Setlist: Hope You Realize, You Upset Me, 24 Hour Blues, Done Got Over It, Self Inflicted Wounds, I Want To Shout About It, Last Matador of Bayonne, Breaking Up Someone’s Home, Heart That Never Waits, Is It Safe To Go Home, See See Baby, Humming Bird, Hard But It’s Fair, Mountain Time
New York City indie rock band Gift released their record label debut, Illuminator, on August 23, following the announcement of their first world tour. The 11-track LP sees the band blending electronic elements with widescreen pop production techniques to create their most fully-comprehensive body of work to date.
GIFT, formed in 2020, is made up of vocalist/guitarist TJ Frida, multi-instrumentalist Justin Hrabovsky, drummer Gabe Camarano and bassist Kallan Campbell. The four originally came together when Freda cherry-picked members of some of his favorite other bands, forming somewhat of an indie supergroup. With roots all over the world—Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Boston and Brazil, to be exact—it only makes sense that GIFT’s musical style would be diverse as well. The musicians have often leaned on their collective deep experiences and have set a bold new sound—a dizzying blend of early shoegaze, classic ‘90s alternative rock and even modern pop.
GIFT emerged somewhat fully formed on their 2022 debut album, Momentary Presence. The LP was a testament to the untapped creative potential lying deep within, and it wasn’t long before the band was pricking up the ears of adventurous listeners both at home and across the Atlantic Ocean. Ahead of their newest album, GIFT have shared the singles “Wish Me Away” and “Going In Circles,” which have drawn critical acclaim from the likes of, among many others, Pitchfork, Billboard, Paste, Uproxx, Consequence, Paper, Flood Magazine, Brooklyn Vegan, and Stereogum, which recently labeled GIFT as a band to watch.
Illuminator is the long-awaited payoff of GIFT’s ever-growing musical and human chemistry, blending a dynamic fusion of electronic and pop production techniques. One of the album’s singles, “Later,” perfectly exemplifies the new sound. “While writing Illuminator, I found myself clinging to intense emotions, reluctant to release them. ‘Later’ stands out as one of the darkest songs I’ve made,” Freda said. “Making it was cathartic, diving into darker themes. The song explores surrendering to the overwhelming sensation of life slipping away before my eyes.”
Freda was an integral part of the record, but Illuminator was a collaborative effort through and through. Gurewitz, a relative newcomer to making music herself, contributed a host of lyrics and vocal melodies, and Camarano’s drumming provided the crucial rhythmic underpinning to the album’s 11 tracks. Hrabovsky, who previously engineered at Asheville, N.C. studios Drop of Sun and Echo Mountain Recording, shared production duties with Freda for the first time as well.
Lyrically, the record covers many of those oh-so-common issues that everybody faces but nobody really knows how to deal with, like falling in love, heartbreak, watching events and moments go by like cars on the highway and grieving the loss of different phases of life. Somehow, GIFT is able to do this, while simultaneously packaging the songs inside sleek and danceable instrumentals. As a result, Illuminator is the perfect album to soundtrack your life to, since it has the perfect answer in song form to almost any situation life can throw at you.
Key Tracks: Light Runner, Later, Milestones
In support of Illuminator, GIFT will embark on an international tour, including a hometown album release party at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on September 20. Visit here to purchase tickets. See below for a full written list of GIFT’s tour dates.
Gift Tour Dates
Sept 13 – Troy, NY – No Fun (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 14 – Boston, MA – Rockwell (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 15 – Portland, ME – Oxbow Brewing (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 17 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Showcase (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 20 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom (w. Catcher, Public Circuit) Record Release Show
Sept 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Milkboy(w. Catcher)
Sept 22 – Washington, DC – DC9 (w. Catcher)
Sept 25 – Chicago, IL – Schubas (w. Catcher)
Oct 10 – Brighton, UK – The Hope & Ruin
Oct 11 – London, UK – Moth Club
Oct 12 – Manchester, UK – YES (Basement)
Oct 14 – Birmingham, UK – Hare & Hounds
Oct 15 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms (w. BODEGA)
Oct 16 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club (w. BODEGA)
Oct 17 – Glasgow, UK – Room 2 (w. BODEGA)
Oct 18 – Newcastle upon Tyne, UK – The Cluny (w. BODEGA)
Oct 19 – Cardiff, UK – SWN FEST
Oct 21 – Cambridge, UK – Junction 2 (w. BODEGA)
Oct 22 – Sheffield, UK – Crookes Social Club (w. BODEGA)
Oct 23 – Bristol, UK – Lantern Hall (w. BODEGA)
Oct 24 – London, UK – Earth Hall (w. BODEGA)
Oct 26 – Amsterdam, NL – London Calling @ Paradiso (w. Chanel Beads, STRKFR, English Teacher)
Oct 27 – Appeldorn, NL – De Gigant
Nov 1 – Utrecht, NL – DB’s
Nov 4 – Paris, FR – SuperSonic
Nov 5 – Dijon, FR – Club La Vapeur
Nov 6 – Nantes, FR – La Lune Froide
Nov 7 – Lorient, FR – Les Indisciplinées (L’Hydrophone) (w. Corridor & Cucamaras)
Nov 8 – Saint, Lô, FR – Les RDV Soniques Festival (Ateliers Arts Plumes)
Manic Kat Records, an independent record label based out of Pomona, NY, celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.
In honor of their tenth birthday, Manic Kat Records hosts their very own music festival featuring their signed artists. This festival takes place September 13th and 14th at Olive’s in Nyack.
Over the last decade, Manic Kat Records has cemented itself as an independent punk music label that focuses on the growth and prosperity of its artists. Manic Kat has represented some of the most prolific names in the punk music scene, such as Ryan Cabrera, Todd Morse (Offspring/H2O), and Showoff, along with new artists who are on their way to joining the list of punk icons.
Manic Kat’s ventures have taken them down multiple paths. In the last ten years, they have collaborated with other entertainment centers like American Colosseum Wrestling (ACW) to host wrestling events, and launched a mobile app, Punk Hub Live, in the midst of a global pandemic to keep fans in touch with artists after live performances had been shut down.
“This anniversary is a celebration of all the hard work, dedication, blood, sweat, and tears we have all put in to get us where we are today!” says CEO and founder Peter James. “I feel as though this milestone is even more special since we not only overcame the normal obstacles every business encounters, but were also able to survive a global pandemic and come out on the other side with continued growth and the passion to find and cultivate an amazing roster of artists.”
Much like their fifth anniversary, Manic Kat celebrates with another two-day festival. Hosting Magic Kat’s festival is McKenzie Mitchell, former ACW superstar, further cementing the incredibly strong relationship between the two organizations. On September 13 and 14, Magic Kat brings out an extensive lineup, all consisting of artists signed to their label. The full lineup of the punk powerhouses will be released soon. Both festival dates begin at 6 pm. Tickets start at $25 online, $30 at the door.
For more information and tickets to Manic Kat Records’ anniversary show, visit the label’s website.
Heading to the 2024 Great New York State Fair? There are plenty of attractions and rides, but don’t sleep on two stages of free live music each day!
The Great New York State Fair was founded in 1832 by a group of local farmers for agriculture and local fairs, The Great New York State Fair became a musical showcase in the 1950s and 1960s. A variety of artists perform at the fair, including popular and up-and-comers.
Performances can be found on the Chevy Court Stage and Suburban Park. Both stages are free with the price of admission.
Phish has kicked off their eleventh festival, Mondegreen, at The Woodlands in Dover, Delaware, welcoming 40,000 fans for a 4-day musical and visual odyssey. The modern day music festival landscape has evolved from Phish being the progenitor of the 90s festival resurgence, the one with the most success despite only a single band on the lineup, to a landscape where festivals are failing, canceling, being too big, or underattended, and generally going the away after two decades of success. Yet here we are with Phish keeping their success with fests going even as bigger and “better” ones continue to fall by the wayside.
In a concert bowl full of art installations with surprises around each corner and tucked into the woods surrounding the fans, Phish fans find themselves in a real life choose your own adventure book, where every turn and decision leads to even more action and escapades.
Likewise, Phish onstage rose to the occasion, opening the festival with a mondegreen of a song, ‘The Moma Dance’ (the moment ends), dropping a first set that was highlighted by a 19-minute “Wolfman’s Brother” and a 30-minute combined 1-2 punch of a closer with “A Wave of Hope” and “Sand.”
Set 2 opened with the true Phish debut (sans Billy Strings on vocals) of “What’s Going Through Your Mind” that clocked in at a surprising 25 minutes. Energetic versions of “Chalkdust Torture” and “Light” followed, with both jams eclipsed by a mid-set highlight in “Prince Caspian” that featured healthy teases of “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley” from Mike Gordon with Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless” later providing a continued burst of energy. A brief “Lonely Trip” was the only respite this set, as a 15-minute “Everything’s Right” closed the set.
A triple encore of the all too infrequent “Saw It Again” had added lyrics referencing the festival, with “Possum” and “Slave to the Traffic Light” closing night 1 on a high note.
Phish – Mondegreen Festival – The Woodlands – Dover, DE 8/15/24
Set 1: The Moma Dance, Back on the Train, Wolfman’s Brother, Funky Bitch, Roggae, NICU, A Wave of Hope, Sand
Set 2: What’s Going Through Your Mind -> Chalk Dust Torture -> Light > Prince Caspian, Crosseyed and Painless, Lonely Trip, Everything’s Right
Encore: Saw It Again > Possum, Slave to the Traffic Light
Night two of Phish’s Mondegreen Festival is now in the books with the band delivering two sets of nearly seamless originals and a brilliant “not-so-secret” third set of musical improvisation that ran the gamut from ambient to explosive psychedelia.
photo by Derek Java
The show began almost promptly at 7 pm this evening with an old school opener in the harmony-laden “Bouncing Around The Room.” This was followed by a “Kill Devil Falls” that set the tone for the rest of the night with an exploratory, groove-intensive jam that technically left the song unfinished. Instead of rounding it back into form, Phish threw out their signature take on Frank Zappa’s “Peaches En Regalia,” the only cover song played all night. “Free” then built on the momentum with an ebullient, free flowing jam before a perfectly placed “Divided Sky” with the sun slowly beginning to set helped create a brilliant aural landscape. The “Tube” that followed elicited another thick jam that had some certifiable meat to it before “Mountains In The Mist” served as a suitable first set “breather” song. “Reba” brought with it all the feels and emotion with a super blissed out jam that further cemented the already immaculate first set vibes. Bypassing the traditional “whistling” ending, Phish instead rounded off the first set with a fun “Twist” > “Character Zero” closing musical salvo.
photo by Derek Java
The second set kicked off with another monstrous “My Friend, My Friend,” a song the band has really stretched out and added some extensive jams to as of late. The traditional “Myfe” ending was skipped over on this one as well with the music instead flowing right into “No Men In No Men’s Land,” a song that typically features some heavy exploratory improvisation on the band end and tonight’s performance was no exception. From here, it was a non-stop runaway train of high end musical improvisation as the band shuffled seamlessly through segues into “Ruby Waves” and “Pillow Jets.” Keyboardist Page McConnell then dove in the sample bin for “Your Pet Cat,” spicing up another intense jam with sounds of cats screeching and screaming, giving a real back alley brawl feel to this rarely played instrumental number. WIthout ever fully stopping, Phish then circled back with ease to revisit both “Ruby Waves” and “No Men” while throwing a hearty “Story Of the Ghost “ right in between them. A flawless “Fluffhead” then closed out the set in grandiose fashion, featuring some amazing drumming and light hearted singing from Jon Fishman.
photo by Derek Java
Prior to the encore, Trey Anastasio facetiously mentioned to “one guy in a white shirt” that there may be a secret set tonight and it may not be wise to head right back to the campground after the show. First, however, was an appearance from “Harry Hood” and its typical powerful, blissful jam before a thunderous and feedback-heavy “First Tube” with Anastasio going full guitar god mode ended things….for now. With many taking heed to Trey’s suggestion and sticking around, a sheer screen descended in front of the stage, turning it into a veritable movie screen. Phish then proceeded to pull a “reverse Sphere,” with the band playing behind the screen as it proceeded to show a series of brilliant images that seemed to grow more intense and vivid as the 50-minute set went on. It was a legitimate question to wonder if the music was dictating the images or the other way around. Either way, it made for one of the more legendary secret sets in the band’s rich festival history as Phish touched on everything from the ambient to thrash metal and seemingly everything in between, dazzling the audience and capping off a special second night at Mondegreen.
Phish – Mondegreen Festival – The Woodlands – Dover, DE 8/16/24
Set 1: Bouncing Around the Room, Kill Devil Falls > Peaches en Regalia, Free, Divided Sky, Tube, Mountains in the Mist, Reba, Twist > Character Zero
Set 2: My Friend, My Friend > No Men In No Man’s Land > Ruby Waves > Pillow Jets -> Your Pet Cat -> Ruby Waves > Ghost -> No Men In No Man’s Land > Fluffhead
Encore: Harry Hood > First Tube
Set 3: Woodlands Jam
photo by Filip Zalewski
The third day of Mondegreen was as hot as any of the previous two, with little in terms of shade or escape from the heat. Phish fans pushed through – we do train for this – and rallied to be inside and take in the art installations, food offerings and stand up comedy that took place in the hours before the music began.
Opening the afternoon with “Mike’s Song” gave Lemonwheel vibes, but the classic combo of “Mike’s > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove” was the fuel and fans needed to get down. A lofty “Theme From the Bottom” followed, along with a Mondegreen of a song, “Blaze On” (Nice Shades/Night Shades) to follow. Perhaps compelled by a sign featuring Paulie Walnuts saying “Gaba Jibbool,” “Gotta Jibboo” ended up being a top jam of the set, stretching for more than 12 minutes. All that followed was setting the table for the second set – the funk rock of “46 Days,” the title track off Phish’s latest album, “Evolve,” Phish fest classic “Meatstick” and “David Bowie” to round it out.
photo by Filip Zalewski
By the time second set rolled around, fans were dialed in and preparing themselves mentally and physically for the unexpected news of Sunday’s show being held earlier in the day, with the field opening at 11am for a 1pm set. While the weather never was a factor on Sunday, the preparation by fans was not just on the day of the show, but also the night before.
An errant beat preceded the opening notes of “2001” which beckoned the crowd for a heavy night to come. And while “Oblivion” has been a road tested song since 2023, the lack of segue here stood out, and could have easily been “Tweezer” or “Life Saving Gun,” but the jam still delivered, working towards “Down with Disease,” which, like the “Tweezer” that did follow, clocked in at over 19 minutes each. “Scents and Subtle Sounds” appeared in full form (not the shortened Magnaball version) for more than 16 minutes, a mid-set-ridge that was an abject success on the collective dance floor. When “Boogie On Reggae Woman” began (one of the limited covers of the weekend by this point) the timing couldn’t have been more perfect, nor could it have been for the “Carini” that followed. With an exclamation point, Day 3 of Mondegreen featured the top set of the weekend, by a wide margin of conventional wisdom.
A trio in the encore began with “Backwards Down the Number Line” and then an always huge “You Enjoy Myself” that closed with “Tweezer Reprise,” putting a bow on Saturday and leaving fans wondering what was in store for Sunday’s weather-rescheduled set(s).
Phish – Mondegreen Festival – The Woodlands – Dover, DE 8/17/24
Set 1: Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Theme From the Bottom > Blaze On, Gotta Jibboo, 46 Days, Evolve, Meatstick > David Bowie
Set 2: Also Sprach Zarathustra > Oblivion, Down with Disease[1] > Tweezer > Scents and Subtle Sounds > Boogie On Reggae Woman, Carini
Encore: Backwards Down the Number Line, You Enjoy Myself, Tweezer Reprise
[1] Unfinished.
This was the third show of the Mondegreen festival. Mike teased Passing Through in David Bowie. DWD was unfinished. Trey teased La Grange and Eleanor Rigby in DWD and Eleanor Rigby in Tweezer.
photo by Filip Zalewski
Phish closed out the final night, or rather day, of Mondegreen with some more explosive jamming that took place a little earlier due to a change in schedule. An announcement was released on Saturday night that music would be starting at 1:00 pm instead of the usual 6:30 pm due to inclement weather that was expected in the local area. Although it never really opened up or downpoured on Sunday, Phish clearly erred on the side of caution instead of letting festival attendees, vendors and workers potentially get stuck in a storm that had the potential for strong winds and lightning.
Both the band and crowd made the most of the situation, and the near two-hour single set started off in joyous fashion with “Party Time” and the sun still shining bright. “Axilla” followed and kept the energy levels high, even after plodding through a “Part 2” ending, before “Maze” kicked things back into high gear with its typical ferocious solos from Page McConnell on organ and Trey Anastasio on guitar. A mid-set “AC/DC Bag” didn’t quite reach the heights of the one featured at Bethel Woods last weekend, but still featured some significant improvisation on its back end. “Sigma Oasis,” another new number from the band’s recent Evolve album followed very much in suit before segueing into the classic Phish tune “Rift.”
photo by Filip Zalewski
“Stash” found the Mondegreen crowd still very much engaged and elicited another probing and expansive jam and the “Ya Mar” that followed served as a perfect daytime set selection. As some cloud coverage slowly began to make an appearance, Phish closed out the jumbo-sized set with one last progression of songs that flowed seamlessly into one another, starting with a “Bathtub GIn” that, like its brethren from this summer tour, produced yet another deep and exploratory jam. At its conclusion, Anastasio started frantically vamping for the intro to the still-rare cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Isabella.” The set could have ended here and few would take issue with that, but instead Phish launched into “Simple” before a rousing cover of TV On The Radio’s “Golden Age” properly closed out the set, as the band definitely seems to be in the midst of one of these.
One last high octane jam that had the whole festival grounds moving took place in “Fuego,” another proper song in both placement and name due to the quality and intensity of music displayed all week long. A brief DJ set afterwards gave those sticking around one last chance to dance and enjoy the venue grounds before skies darkened even further and announcement was made for everyone to return to their campsites, a dour ending to an otherwise memorable and festive Mondegreen.
Phish – Mondegreen Festival – The Woodlands – Dover, DE 8/18/24
Set: Party Time, Axilla->Maze, Steam. Martian Monster, AC/DC Bag, Sigma Oasis->Rift, Stash, Ya Mar, Timber (Jerry the Mule), Bathtub GIn > Izabella > Simple > Golden Age
Opening day of the Great NYS Fair was full of nostaglia. Earlier in the day Chubby Checker took the stage and all the headliners from the I Love the 90’s tour paid homage to him as they each left the stage, Young Hump of Digital Underground said “I’m gonna have to call my grandparents”.
The lineup for the evening was Digital Underground, Color Me Badd & Tone Loc. The weather cleared just before start time and made for a wonderful evening of music.
Opening up the night was Digital Underground with their hit “Same Song” as they moved back and forth across the stage. As their set continued the remembered Shock-G and dedicated “Doowutchyalike” to him. They continued their set with “Kiss you Back” and then performed Tupac’s “I Get Around” and ending the night the “Humpty Dance” with Young Hump out doing his dance. It was a great set from Digital Underground that got the audience up on their feet to start out the evening.
Next up was Color Me Badd with the sole original member lead vocalist Mark Calderon. They started their set off with their hit “All 4 One” and got the audience singing with them. They continued on with “I Adore Mi Amor” and covered Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You”. As they continued on with their walk through their 90’s hit “I Wanna Sex You Up”. At times it was hard to hear Mark Calderon’s vocals during their 20 minute set. The audince enjoyed the performance and could be heard singing along toeir favorite old school jams.
Tone Loc came out with DJ M. Walk to perform his hit “Funky Cold Medina”, Tone in a throwback blue sweat suit with his gravelly voice that just brought the crowd to their feet. They continued on with a cover of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice” with Tone Loc doing a little crip walk. He continued on with a call and response of “Hey, What’s Up”. Giving the audience a little time he asked what decade the audience members were born, and the biggest responses were the 60’s & 70’s. He then called a group of ladies to come up on the stage as he closed out with “Wild Thing”. The ladies on stage danced and laughed as if they were back in the 90’s.
I love the 90s was a great night of nostalgic music at the NYS Fair that took you back in time. It almost was like we were back in the 90’s again.
Digital Underground Setlist: Same Song, Doowhatchya Like, Kiss You Back, I Get Around (TuPac), The Humpty Dance
Color Me Badd Setlist: All for Love, I Adore Mi Amor, Rock With You (Michael Jackson), I Wanna Sex You Up
Tone Loc Setlist: Funky Cold Medina, Gin & Juice (Snoop Dogg), Hey, What’s Up, Wild Thing
Rising country music star Warren Zeiders performed on the Suburban Park Stage at the New York State Fair in Syracuse on Thursday, August 22. The Hershey, Pennsylvania native was celebrating the release of his second full length album, Relapse (released on August 23).
Anticipation built as the minutes clicked down to Zeiders’ arrival. The barricaded area around the stage was filled to capacity well in advance of showtime, and a sprawling crowd stretched back into the fields which separated the Suburban Park stage from the hustle and bustle of the fair’s midway.
At promptly 8pm, Zeiders burst on to stage and wasted no time getting the party started. Zeiders opened with the unreleased track “Take it to the Grave” which showcased his gritty vocals and high energy stage presence. Zeiders worked each side of the stage, often pausing to wave and greet the fans up front. Early in the set, Zeiders pushed his new material, performing several tracks off the Relapse album.
At just 24 years old, Warren Zeiders is proving to be a master in his craft. New tracks like “Intoxicated” and “Betrayal” proved to hold just strong as the rest of his growing catalog. Those in attendance were already familiar with the lyrics to the new tracks and sang along to every word. However, the biggest sing along this evening was when Zeiders performed “Pretty Little Poison”, a track which spent several weeks at the top of Billboard’s Country Music Airplay chart earlier this year. The crowed belted back the song’s anthemic chorus and waved lighters and cellphone lights in the air, illuminating the area and giving perspective to the sea of fans that had gathered.
After a sixty minute set and a brief break, Zeiders and his band returned to the stage for an encore, which saw the band cover the Alice in Chains classic, “Man in the Box”. The song may sound like a surprising choice to hear at a country concert, but it fit in well with Zeiders’ sound.
The New York State Fair continues through September 2. See a list of upcoming concerts here.
In 1969, Bert Sommer, an American folk singer and songwriter, was immersed in a moment when peace, love, and hippies flowed through Bethel, N.Y., at a three-day-event known as Woodstock.
Performing music had been Sommer’s passion since a teenager. Riding the wave of Beatlemania, Sommer took a train from Hartsdale and went to Central Park in Manhattan where he met semi-truant and aspiring musicians, Leslie West, Larry (Weinstein) West, Peter Sabatino, Roger Mansour, and Jerry Storch. Together, the boys formed the garage band, The Vagrants.
From Left to Right: Michael Brown, David Warren Schierhorst, Bert Sommer, Michael McKean. Photo courtesy of the Estate of Michael Brown, courtesy of Yvonne Brown
Although Sommer was not a performing member of The Vagrants, he penned a dozen songs and more for them, including “And When It’s Over”, featured on the band’s first LP. The Vagrants performed gigs in the Long Island club, The Action House.
Simultaneously, in Washington Square Park, Sommer met two more musical semi-truants, Tom Finn and Tom Feher who formed the classically-influenced “Baroque Pop” band, The Left Banke. Sommer formed a writing partnership with the band’s youngest member, Michael Brown, and wrote songs for The Left Banke.
Internal artistic disagreements amongst band members caused The Left Banke to reform under Michael Brown. Joining Brown in The Left Banke included Sommer, Michael McKean and David Warren Schierhorst. The band recorded several songs, including Feher’s “Ivy, Ivy”, and Sommer’s “And Suddenly”. Although “And Suddenly” was rising up the music charts, the original members sued the new version of the band.
After his stint with The Vagrants and The Left Banke, Sommer went to Los Angeles, CA to perform in HAIR, first as a member of the Tribe before moving on to play the character of Neil “Woof” Donovan.
In January 1969, Sommer, on Capitol Records released his debut album, The Road to Travel, produced by music executive and Brooklyn native, Arthur Kornfield. Kornfield left Capitol Records to co-create the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival alongside Michael Lang. Kornfield then invited Sommer to perform at the opening of the festival on Friday, Aug. 15, 1969, where he sang the song, “Jennifer”. Sommer wrote “Jennifer” for his HAIR co-star, Jennifer Warnes, and he received the first standing ovation at Woodstock. Sommer performed a 10-song set at the festival.
The Book cover of Sharon Watts’ memoir of Bert Sommer: “The Rather Magnificent” Bert Sommer Woodstock’s Lost Treasure – Cover courtesy of Sharon Watts
After Woodstock, Sommer recorded three additional albums, had his single, “We’re All Playing in the Same Band” reach No. 48 on the Hot 100 Chart in September 1970, and while at SUNY Brockport in 1974, met Waterford resident and singer/songwriter, Johnny Rabb (real name: Gary Roberts), through friend Rob Landis. Together, the trio performed at clubs and cafes in and around Brockport for several years. The trio also went to Los Angeles to work on a Capitol LP produced by Ron Dante, who had just produced 13 Barry Manilow hits.
Eventually through Rabb’s encouragement, Sommer moved to Albany in August 1983 where he continued his music career until his death from a nearly life-long pattern of juggling addictive tendencies on July 23, 1990 at the age of 41. Musicians who knew Sommer within the music circuit would have their own intricate memories to share and tell to a super fan who became inspired to write about the late singer.
Entering Sharon Watts
Growing up in a suburb of Harrisburg, PA, the then 16-year-old teenager Sharon Watts barely had the Woodstock festival on her radar. Watts, who later became an illustrator and writer, lived in New York City for 30 years before moving upstate to Beacon where she currently resides.
In December 2017, Watts visited The Museum at Bethel Woods for the first time to learn more about the festival and its performers. She was inside the hallway of performers and read their information and realized at the time that she didn’t know half of them. After her museum trip, she returned home with a book that she took out from her local library with every performer, in order of appearance. With her iPad and her two cats, she sat on the sofa and began reading the book until she reached Sommer’s name.
A young photo of Bert Sommer taken by Tom Flynn in 1966. Photo courtesy of Tom Flynn of The Left Banke
“When I got to Bert, I was simply blown away. Something in his delivery reached into my core, and I needed to know who he was, and why had I never known of his existence,” Watts recalled. “There was not a lot of info on him on the internet, but I started going down rabbit holes and found people who knew him – starting with his Woodstock bandmate, Ira Stone and his wife, Maxine, who were onstage during their set.”
Watts was drawn to Sommer and felt that he really could have been a contender in the music world. Sommer was a mystery for her to solve, and she wanted to shine a light on a musician whom she called a “forgotten treasure”. Watts decided to do more research and tell his story through the assistance of his musical peers.
The origins of her research
Watts first wrote a personal essay that she shared on her writing website in 2018. In 2019, she pitched an article idea to the United Kingdom’s Shindig Magazine. The magazine’s editor asked Watts for a piece that coincidently timed with Woodstock’s 50th Anniversary. Her article, “Hair”, based on the play that Sommer starred in, also centered around the festival and living in the mid-1960s.
Through her continued research, she found Sommer’s time living in Albany “equally if not more fascinating.”
During the Covid lockdown, Watts continued to collect stories from Capital Region musicians who knew Sommer and had performed with him during the mid-’80s–90s.
Watts then made connections with several of Sommer’s band members and friends, including Rick Bedrosian, who provided her a personal photograph he took of Sommer and Rabb in the early ‘80s to use for her book.
Kevin McKrell’s wife, Carla, told Watts about Sommer, “Even if you only met him for 10 minutes, you (will) never forget him.”
The book summary of Sharron Watts’ memoir of Bert Sommer: “The Rather Magnificent” Bert Sommer Woodstock’s Lost Treasure – Cover courtesy of Sharon Watts
The tales told by Johnny Rabb
Rabb recalled the moment when Watts first reached out to him about his friend.
“(Sommer), he’s an angel, a bad angel, but an angel. I spent years with him, I lived with him in the same college house in Brockport and at several other places over there,” Rabb said. “I lived with him in Los Angeles and it was pretty wild.”
Rabb met Sommer while attending college at SUNY Brockport near Rochester. They became friends and got into bands together.
Rabb, along with Rob Landis and Sommer went from jamming at the Brockport Crypt inside the basement of a church to New York City’s Schaefer Music Festival, the Capitol Record building in Hollywood, and The Troubadour on the Sunset Strip, Watts said.
A few months before Sommer moved to Los Angeles, music producer Artie Ripp encouraged him to audition for the role of Flatbrush, a character of the factitious rock band, Kaptain Kool and the Kongs, based on the children’s Saturday morning variety show, “The Krofft Supershow” in 1976. Sommer was only on the show for one season, and did not reprise his role for its second season. He also released his final album while living in Los Angeles, “Bert Sommer”. The album was ultimately unsuccessful and Sommer was dropped from Capitol Records.
Living the dream in Albany…
Rabb convinced Sommer to return to Albany where people would appreciate him. Once he left Los Angeles in July 1983, he hitched a ride from New York City to Albany with his friend and musician, Dave Durocher and his wife, Jeannie Durocher. Once Sommer was at Rabb’s house, Sommer knew he had found his “forever home” in the Capital Region.
While in Albany, he started performing at open mics until he met Kevin McKrell and his wife, Carla. They, along with Rabb and additional members Rick Bedrosian and Bill Pulchinski (formerly “Broadway Blotto” in the band Blotto) formed The Fabulous Newports. Sommer also performed with Kevin as “Irish Bert”. Once Sommer became friends with Rabb’s friend Eddie Angel, they formed The Poor Boys alongside Rabb, Bedrosian, and Buck Malen.
Sommer performed all around Albany, Schenectady, and Troy at clubs and venues like 288 (Lark Street), The Grinch, Dulan’s, Billy’s Pub, The Gemini Jazz Cafe, J.B. Scott’s, The Boat Slip, and later Quintessence, a retro diner in Albany where he sang and played the piano to restaurateurs.
“He had an amazing life – 41 years. He had an amazing life and he wouldn’t take credit for it because he screwed it up somehow when he didn’t get the money, but I think it’s survival,” Rabb said. “He was a survivor, and he took the wrong path with the drug thing, you know. That just killed what he had.”
Sommer was buried next to his father at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, near Westchester.
Rabb called Watts a master as a writer and a fan of Sommer. He provided Watts plenty of stories of his friend over the phone and provided her some personal photos to use for her book. He said reminiscing about his friend was very cool.
Sommer’s connection to Sarge Blotto(Greg Haymes)
During his time in Albany, Sommer met many area musicians and one of those notable friends was musician, artist, and journalist, Greg Haymes. Sara Ayers, Haymes’ widow, said that her husband might have met Sommer through Rabb.
Haymes hosted Sarge Blotto’s Hot Seat, an interview segment featured on George Guarino’s monthly local cable access show, Real George’s Back Room. In May 1985, Haymes featured Sommer on his talk show for a one-on-one interview.
The interview segment opened up with Sommer’s song, “Don’t Take Candy From Strangers” that he co-wrote with Eddie Angel. In the half-hour segment, Sommer would be seen showing off the program for the 1969 Los Angeles production of “Hair” which featured his own head and hair on the front cover, and his debut album, “The Road to Travel”. He even performed “We’re All in the Same Band” on the acoustic guitar for both Guarino and Haymes.
“What a guy. I love this guy,” Sommer said of Haymes.
Sommer recalled the moment he first met Haymes when he arrived in Albany. Aside from knowing Rabb, Haymes was one of his first Albany friends that he met in the local music scene.
“So I came to Albany and right away, I started working and the first guy I met in Albany was this man (of Haymes). This man is family.” Sommer said. “I came to town and he said, ‘I know who you are!’ and right away, he made me feel good.”
Sommer’s interview with Haymes can be watched on the Nippertown YouTube channel.
Ayers didn’t know Sommer well and by the time he was living in Albany, Ayers was working a day job and not hanging out in the clubs. She knew that her husband was friends with Bert and that he wanted to debut his interview series on Guarino’s show with him since he had “such a poignant story” and that he was “gregarious enough to be a fabulous interview.” she said.
In the interview, Haymes said that Sommer was born to be a star.
Sommer’s Legacy
Even though Watts never met Sommer in person, her collection of memories that she gathered from his friends and bandmates who still remember him with a big smile, made her feel like she knew him on a deeper level.
“The stories I’ve collected for my book are what give it any weight,” Watts said. “People’s memories and stories flesh out a man (in many ways still a kid), who had a mega talent, a golden glow, and some ‘demons’ clanking along his ankles. Had he not fallen through the cracks by not appearing in the Woodstock film or soundtrack (or any subsequent director’s cuts), Bert could have been as big a star as anyone.”
The Book
Watts titles her book, The Rather Magnificent Bert Sommer – Woodstock’s Lost Treasure. She calls her book about Sommer an “impressionistic portrait.” Although the stories told about him are nonfiction, she adds in a little creative leeway as she sometimes will write a scene that will help the reader in a “you are there” position, she said.
The book is more than likely going to be self published. Although she still has some loose ends to tie up in it, she wants to release the book in August 2025. Watts said that there is also a documentary that is taking seed, and her book will support the documentary on Sommer.
Watts also has released a limited issue Zine, also titled “The Rather Magnificent Bert Sommer – Woodstock’s Lost Treasure”. It was originally conceived for the 55th anniversary of Woodstock. The Zine includes a small section of a story that helps bring Bert’s Woodstock experience to life. To receive a copy of the Zine, contact Watts through her website while they remain available.
An online flip-book of the Zine is available now and is free to view online.
Future readers will be directed to obtain either a hard copy or E-book through her website, sharonwattswrites.com for brick-and-mortar and online purchase, as well as the Woodstock Museum at Bethel Woods gift shop.
The takeaway
“I am not trying to “sell” Bert, but to bring him into the spotlight, and into the archives of history where he deserves to be.” Watts said.
What is most heartening to Watts was that Sommer never gave up performing and he always remained upbeat in the face of many adversities.
“But the most interesting thing was that he was literally three degrees of separation of anything and anyone who was happening over the course of three decades.”
Watts wanted to write Sommer’s book now because she felt that it was time to do something to help draw people to his music, share his voice and monumental personality, and also, help recognize him and his contributions to Woodstock. Watts added that Sommer even has a following of new young fans in Europe who have grown to love his work and she finds that heartening.
“He deserves to be part of the Woodstock Monument and he deserves to be more than ‘Bert Who’? There were so many rumors floating around about what happened, why was he omitted from the Woodstock documentary and the soundtrack,” Watts said. “I tracked down every thread I could to solve the mystery as best it could be solved.”
She concluded, “This is partly about righting a wrong, getting Bert’s rightful place in the annals of Woodstock history.”
Benny The Butcher looks to make his mark on the summer, returning with Buffalo Butch Vol. 1 just two weeks after releasing Summertime Butch. The new 3-track EP features close collaborator 38 Spesh, along with guest spots from Fabolous and Drake on the songs “Hard Way Freestyle” and “Buffalo Freestyle” respectively.
Artwork for Benny The Butcher 3-song E, Buffalo Butch Vol. 1
Benny Back Again
It’s been just over six months since the Grammy and Emmy nominated Buffalo native released his Def Jam Recordings debut, Everybody Can’t Go. During which he tried his hand at a more commercial sound along with a mainstream album that included several singles and guest spots on popular hip hop adjacent podcasts. While songs like the West Coast influenced “Back Again,” and the uptempo “How To Rap” showed some variance to Benny’s musical approach, his core fans continue to yearn for the gritty street rhymes that Benny and his tone-setting delivery have become synonymous with.
Artwork for Benny The Butcher 10-song EP, Summertime Butch
As a result he returned with Summertime Butch featuring appearances from Black Soprano Family signees Rick Hyde, ElCamino, and Fuego Base. With an additionally cameo from hip hop legend Ed Lover on “Summer 24,” while Harry Fraud and StreetRunner handled the album’s production. Now juts two weeks later he returns with a 3-pack of tracks to close the Summer out strong. As these last two EP’s have seen Benny return to his grimy best. Back are the slow, cinematic beats with street tales galore. Moreover, each song on Buffalo Butch Vol. 1 sees Benny bring the best out of his collaborators, which includes Drake first feature with a rapper of Benny’s pedigree since his much publicized beef with Kendrick Lamar. However, as of right now the Drake feature has been removed from streaming since the project’s release on Thursday night.
