Farming Man Fest, in Altamont, NY, organized by Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery (ILFCB), is marking its 10th anniversary this year, and to celebrate, the event is expanding into a full weekend of festivities.
The festival will include more than 25 breweries, including ILF’s own beer and hard cider, two distilleries, five bands, and over a dozen vendors on Saturday, July 20 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, July 21 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., respectively.
This year’s festival promises to be an unforgettable celebration of New York’s vibrant brewing industry, offering enthusiasts and newcomers alike an opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich flavors and innovative craftsmanship that define the state’s beer scene.
Beginning in 2014, the Farming Man Fest was originally just for brewers, under the name “Bottle Share.” It was more of a networking event for maltsters, brewers, and hop growers.
When the festival first went public in 2018, attendance started at around 150. Just the next year, the attendance more than doubled. After a short hiatus in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic, Farming Man Fest came back strong in 2022 and continues to grow.
This milestone 10th-anniversary edition will feature exclusive brews, collaborative creations, and limited-edition releases that showcase the diversity and ingenuity of New York’s brewing community. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to meet the masterminds behind their favorite beers and enjoy live music and local food vendors in a beautiful farm setting.
Also new this year, Farming Man Fest will be held in ILFCB’s Pizza Garden and event space, The Clear Mountain Room, overlooking a breathtaking view of the Helderberg Escarpment.
“We are so excited for our annual commemorative beer, Farming Man: The Beer 2024,” said Scott Veltman, ILFCB Head Brewer. “In all honesty, the taste is just wow. Such a delicious beer. It’s a hoppy, wheated pilsner made with NYS malt and hopped with NYS Vista, and another hop variety referred to as HRC-003. It’s a refreshing yet hoppy lager with notes of peach, mango, melon and green tea. It’s the perfect easy-drinking beer to taste while socializing in summer—and therefore perfect for Farming Man Fest.”
Musical guests include TV Doctors, Sydney Worthley, The Sugar Hold, Super 400 and Wild Adriatic. Ian “Ritz” Carlton will be the event’s emcee and introduce the bands. Jeff Mo’rad from WEQX will broadcast his Jam ‘n Toast radio show live from the Pizza Garden on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Breweries who have already signed on to be at the festival include Artisanal Beer Works, Bolton Landing Brewing, Bound By Fate Brewery, Ommegang, Brooklyn Cider House, Brown’s Brewing, Chatham Brewing, Common Roots, Community Beer Works, Druthers Brewing, Fidens, Gentle Giant Brewing Co, Great Flats Brewing, Paradox Brewery, Real McCoy, Rip Van Winkle Brewery, Seven Points Brewery, SingleCut Beersmiths, The Brewery at the CIA, The Warbler, Unified Beerworks, Upper Depot, Wayward Lane, Whitman Brewing, and Wolf Hollow Brewing. Albany Distilling Company and Cooperstown Distillery will also be on site. A sampling of the vendors expected for the event are Beverwyck Cheesecake, Sweet Treat Cotton Candy, The Ornate Fox and Meadowdale Winery.
Food will be available from DeFazio’s Pizza in the Pizza Garden, who will also bring a food truck serving an array of delicious eats. The Tasting Room and Farm Store will be open for normal hours so patrons can grab a taste of those famous cider doughnuts.
Indian Ladder Farms will also host their aptly named Farming Moon Hike (usually referred to as their Full Moon Hike). Check-in for the hike will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday in the Pizza Garden. The hike will begin at 7:30 p.m. and explore the Buck Moon, named by the Farmer’s Almanac because July is the time when the antlers of male deer (bucks) are in full growth mode. The hike will return to the Pizza Garden at 9:00 p.m. Tickets for the hike are available here.
Overnight camping will also be available. There are 20 camping passes offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, with a limit of 4 people per car. Passes are $30 each and are available here. Camping is available on Saturday night only.
A change from years past is that admission is free, with tasting passes available for $25, which provides patrons with (8) 4 ounce samples from the various breweries on site. Each food vendor will charge separately for their goods.
Families are invited to attend as well. There will be areas for water play in “Water World” and plenty of space for lawn games and picnicking.
For more information about Indian Ladder Farms Cidery and Brewery, visit here.
Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings have announced the release of The 1974 Live Recordings, a collection of all professionally recorded shows from Bob Dylan’s 1974 performances backed by The Band, including his January 1974 shows at Madison Square Garden.
The collection will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan’s return to touring and will be released on Friday, September 20.
Photo credit: Barry Feinstein
The 1974 Live Recordings, to be available as a deluxe box set across 27 CDs, will offer fans 417 previously unreleased Bob Dylan live tracks, including 133 recordings newly mixed from 16-track tape and every single surviving soundboard recording, along with new liner notes by journalist and critic Elizabeth Nelson.
In conjunction with The 1974 Live Recordings, Third Man Records has announced the September release of The 1974 Live Recordings – The Missing Songs From Before the Flood, a 3-LP / 1 by 7-inch set culled from the same recordings, featuring hand selected versions of every song Bob Dylan recorded that was not included on the original 1974 live album. Pressed exclusively on colored vinyl, the set will be available through The Vault, Third Man’s direct-to-customer mail order service.
Bob Dylan with the Band at Madison Square Garden in 1974. Photo credit: Larry Morris/The New York Times
Bob Dylan’s 1974 Tour marked his first time touring live in eight years and reunited him with The Band, who had become widely renowned in their own right since backing the artist nearly a decade earlier. Booked into arenas for the first time ever, Bob Dylan and The Band performed 30 dates in 42 days (often playing two sets per day) before an average audience of 18,500, helping set a new standard for what rock concerts could look and sound like. And in front of those crowds, they brought an energy that Rolling Stone’s Ben Fong-Torres described as “searing and soaring, unified and precise…excellent in itself.” Music critic Robert Christgau compared the sound to Bob Dylan “running over his old songs like a truck.”
Tour ‘74 kicked off Jan. 3, 1974, at Chicago Stadium, the largest indoor arena in the world at the time it was built, with a tense and combative rip through the ultimate deep-cut “Hero Blues,” an acoustic-gone-electric outtake from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan sessions that he had scarcely performed before or since. Additional rarities, like a wildly reinvented “Ballad of Hollis Brown,” “Song to Woody” (not performed since 1962) and Planet Waves outtake “Nobody ‘Cept You,” would be well received on the tour’s first nights. “We were booed off of every stage in Europe,” The Band’s Robbie Robertson recalled to Newsweek of their previous run together. “What happened tonight in Chicago is so reassuring for us.”
The reception wasn’t the only thing that had changed since Bob Dylan and The Band last toured together in 1966. Since then, The Band had released six LPs, played Woodstock and other famous stages, and recorded a series of historic sessions with Bob Dylan, from The Basement Tapes to Planet Waves. For his part, Bob Dylan had effectively retired from the road altogether following a 1966 motorcycle accident, yet was still “widely regarded as the most influential and significant star in the last 10 years of American popular music,” according to The New York Times.
Photo credit: Barry Feinstein
Though they might not have known it at the time, Bob Dylan and The Band were at the vanguard of a new era. Tour ‘74 would help create the template for the major rock tour and codify many of its shared experiences, from the sight of audiences holding up lighters en masse (as captured in the iconic cover image for Before the Flood) to the bright flash of the house lights during a show’s signal moment, in this case, their performance of “Like a Rolling Stone.” Likewise, many songs performed live for the first time on Tour ‘74—”All Along the Watchtower,” “Forever Young” and the show’s eventual opener-and-closer “Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)” —would take on a life of their own.
At the outset, the 1974 Tour was captured on a stereo soundboard mix on both 1/4-inch tape and cassette. By the tour’s end, Asylum Records’ David Geffen had commissioned recordings on multitrack tape, the standard at the time, for eventual release on Before the Flood. The 1974 Live Recordings includes it all—the cassettes and 1/4-inch tapes and the shows that were recorded on 16-track tape, newly-mixed for this collection.
Preorders for the collection are available here. A previously unreleased performance of “Forever Young,” live in Seattle, on Feb 9, 1974, can be found here. See below for the full track list of The 1974 Live Recordings.
Bob Dylan with the Band at Madison Square Garden in 1974. Photo credit: Chris Charlesworth
Full Tracklist
DISC 1
January 3, 1974 – Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL
1. Hero Blues
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Tough Mama
4. It Ain’t Me, Babe
5. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
6. All Along the Watchtower
7. Song to Woody
8. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
9. Nobody ‘Cept You
10. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
11. Forever Young
12. Something There Is About You
13. Like a Rolling Stone
14. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 2
January 4, 1974 – Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL
1. Hero Blues
2. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
3. It Ain’t Me, Babe
4. Tough Mama
5. Ballad of a Thin Man
6. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
7. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
8. The Times They Are A-Changin’
9. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
10. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
11. Nobody ‘Cept You
12. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
13. Maggie’s Farm
DISC 3
January 6, 1974 (Afternoon) – The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
1. Ballad of Hollis Brown
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. It Ain’t Me, Babe
5. Tough Mama
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. To Ramona
11. Mama, You Been on My Mind
12. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
13. Nobody ‘Cept You
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
16. Forever Young
17. Something There Is About You
18. Like a Rolling Stone
DISC 4
January 6, 1974 (Evening) – The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. It Ain’t Me, Babe
5. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. The Times They Are A-Changin’
11. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
12. Song to Woody
13. Mr. Tambourine Man
14. Nobody ‘Cept You
15. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
16. Forever Young
17. Something There Is About You
18. Like a Rolling Stone
19. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 5
January 7, 1974 – The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. It Ain’t Me, Babe
5. I Don’t Believe You
(She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. Just Like a Woman
11. Girl from the North Country
12. Wedding Song
13. Nobody ‘Cept You
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. Forever Young
16. Something There Is About You
17. Like a Rolling Stone
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 6
January 9, 1974 – Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. It Ain’t Me, Babe
5. It Take a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. Just Like a Woman
11. Girl from the North Country
12. Wedding Song
13. Nobody ‘Cept You
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. Forever Young
16. Something There Is About You
17. Like a Rolling Stone
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 7
January 11, 1974 – Montreal Forum, Montreal, Canada
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. The Times They Are A-Changin’
11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
12. Gates of Eden
13. Nobody ‘Cept You
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. Forever Young
16. Something There Is About You
17. Like a Rolling Stone
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 8
January 14, 1974 (Afternoon) – Boston Gardens, Boston, MA
1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. It Ain’t Me, Babe
5. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. The Times They Are A-Changin’
11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
12. Gates of Eden
13. Just Like a Woman
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. Forever Young
16. Something There Is About You
17. Like a Rolling Stone
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 9
January 15, 1974 – Capital Centre, Largo, MD
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. The Times They Are A-Changin’
11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
12. Wedding Song
13. Just Like a Woman
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. Forever Young
16. Something There Is About You
17. Like a Rolling Stone
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 10
January 16, 1974 – Capital Centre, Largo, MD
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. One Too Many Mornings
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. The Times They Are A-Changin’
11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
12. Gates of Eden
13. Nobody ‘Cept You
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. Forever Young
16. Something There Is About You
17. Like a Rolling Stone
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 11
January 17, 1974 – Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. The Times They Are A-Changin’
11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
12. Gates of Eden
13. Just Like a Woman
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. Forever Young
16. Something There Is About You
17. Like a Rolling Stone
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 12
January 19, 1974 (Afternoon) – Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood, FL
1. All Along the Watchtower
2. Ballad of Hollis Brown
3. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
4. The Times They Are A-Changin’
5. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
6. Gates of Eden
7. Just Like a Woman
8. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
9. Forever Young
10. Something There Is About You
11. Like a Rolling Stone
12. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 13
January 21, 1974 – The Omni, Atlanta, GA
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. The Times They Are A-Changin’
11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
12. Gates of Eden
13. Just Like a Woman
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. Forever Young
16. Something There Is About You
17. Like a Rolling Stone
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 14
January 22, 1974 – The Omni, Atlanta, GA
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. Ballad of Hollis Brown
8. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
9. The Times They Are A-Changin’
10. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
11. Gates of Eden
12. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
13. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
14. Forever Young
15. Something There Is About You
16. Like a Rolling Stone
17. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 15
January 26, 1974 (Afternoon) – Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston, TX
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. The Times They Are A-Changin’
11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
12. Gates of Eden
13. Just Like a Woman
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. Forever Young
16. Something There Is About You
17. Like a Rolling Stone
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 16
January 26, 1974 (Evening) – Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston, TX
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. The Times They Are A-Changin’
11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
12. Gates of Eden
13. Just Like a Woman
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. Forever Young
16. Something There Is About You
17. Like a Rolling Stone
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
DISC 17
January 30, 1974 – Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. All Along the Watchtower
5. Ballad of Hollis Brown
6. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door – released on Before the Flood
7. The Times They Are A-Changin’
8. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
9. Gates of Eden
10. Just Like a Woman
11. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) – Incomplete
12. Forever Young
13. Something There Is About You
14. Like a Rolling Stone
15. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
16. Blowin’ in the Wind
DISC 18
January 31, 1974 (Afternoon) – Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
1. All Along the Watchtower
2. Ballad of Hollis Brown
3. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
4. The Times They Are A-Changin’
5. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
6. Gates of Eden – Incomplete
7. Forever Young
8. Highway 61 Revisited – released on A Musical History (The Band)
9. Like a Rolling Stone – Incomplete
DISC 19
January 31, 1974 (Evening) – Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower – Incomplete
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. The Times They Are A-Changin’
11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
12. Gates of Eden
13. Just Like a Woman
14. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
15. Forever Young
16. Highway 61 Revisited
17. Like a Rolling Stone
18. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
19. Blowin’ in the Wind
DISC 20
February 9, 1974 (Afternoon) – Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, WA
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. All Along the Watchtower
5. Ballad of Hollis Brown
6. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
7. She Belongs to Me
8. The Times They Are A-Changin’
9. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
10. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
11. Wedding Song
12. Forever Young
13. Highway 61 Revisited
DISC 21
February 9, 1974 (Evening) – Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, WA
1. The Times They Are A-Changin’
2. Just Like a Woman
3. Wedding Song
4. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
5. It’s All Right, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
6. Forever Young
7. Highway 61 Revisited
8. Like a Rolling Stone
9. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
10. Blowin’ in the Wind
DISC 22
February 11, 1974 (Afternoon) – Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
1. All Along the Watchtower
2. Ballad of Hollis Brown
3. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
4. She Belongs to Me
5. The Times They Are A-Changin’
6. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
7. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
8. Wedding Song
9. Forever Young
10. Highway 61 Revisited
11. Like a Rolling Stone – Incomplete
12. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
13. Blowin’ in the Wind
DISC 23
February 11, 1974 (Evening) – Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
4. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad of a Thin Man
7. All Along the Watchtower
8. Ballad of Hollis Brown
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. The Times They Are A-Changin’
11. Just Like a Woman
12. Gates of Eden
13. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Incomplete
Western New York’s summer got a little brighter as Norah Jones’ latest tour with Mavis Staples blew through CMAC in Canandaigua and ArtPark in Lewiston on July 5th and 6th, despite the rains pouring down Friday night in Canandaigua.
Gospel legend, civil rights icon and sole surviving and torch-bearing Staples Singer, Mavis Staples and her band of bass, drums, guitar and backup singers, took the stage first. She needed assistance walking to the front of the stage, and took some breaks with a seat and some sips of tea in between songs, but when the mic was in front of her, she was a ball of fire. The stage, and the entire venue, was in her control.
Her voice, gravelly and soulful, belted out affirmations of love, for oneself, others, and of course God. Like a preacher from the pulpit, in case you missed the message, she repeated it a couple more times in her banter.
The set mixed Staples classics like “I’m Just a Soldier,” and “Heavy Makes Too Happy,” with Gospel standards like “I Belong to the Band, Hallelujah!” and more contemporary rock hits like Funkadelic’s “Can You Get to That” and the Talking Heads’ “Slippery People.” Mavis molded these latter tunes to her will, secular messages becoming spiritual. “What’s the matter with him? He’s alright. How do you know? The Lord won’t mind.” hits a little different coming from mouth of Mavis Staples than it does from David Byrne.
As Mavis was helped back off stage after her 45 minutes, she and her band received a rare and well-deserved opening-set standing ovation. One performance from a legendary lady in the books, one more to come.
After a short break, Norah Jones took the stage with Brian Blade behind the drums and Josh Lattanzi on bass, opening their set with “What Am I To You” off Jones’ second album Feels Like Home. Then just minutes in, Mavis Staples came back out to perform “I’ll Be Gone” which she recorded with Jones in 2019. Certainly an early-set show highlight to be blessed with both iconic voices playing off each other. Pete Remm, who wrote the song, was also on board on organ for that and off and on for the remainder of the show.
With that out of the way, Jones’ invited the rest of her band out, Sasha Dobson on guitar and vocals and Sami Stevens on keys and vocals. They kicked into some material from her stellar new release, Visions, with “Paradise” and “Running” before dropping back to early hit “Sunrise.”
The set continued to span her entire catalog, each song it’s own gift. Perfect little moments of musical joy popped out here and there, each tied off in a colorful bow, like from the streamers hanging as a backdrop. A singular smile-inducing note to close “Running,” beautifully bowed bass in “Sunrise,” Blade’s infectious groove in “Staring at the Wall,” the three-part vocal round on “I’m Awake.” Attentive ears were rewarded with these plentiful gifts throughout the night.
As Staples could bend a songs meaning to her will, Jones could likewise bend entire genres to her will. On the hushed and haunting “Little Broken Hearts,” she took on an indie-rock persona, strapping on a guitar. Then on “Queen of the Sea” she was belting out a country ballad. Her classic “Come Away With Me” was stripped back to the trio, with spare upright bass notes and subtle drums, it was Jones at her jazziest, taking control with her piano and voice. But she isn’t a rocker, singer/songwriter, country crooner, jazz musician or pop star. She’s Norah Jones and there’s no one else sounding quite like her.
She waited until the encore for the lone cover of the night, Tom Waits’ “Long Way Home,” before closing out the night properly with her classic hit “Don’t Know Why,”
Note: Review from CMAC, all photos from ArtPark by Patrick Sone Lin Htoo.
CMAC Setlist: What I Am To You, I’ll Be Gone (with Mavis Staples), Running, Sunrise, Begin Again, Tragedy, I’m Awake, I Just Wanna Dance, Out on the Road, Little Broken Hearts, Queen of the Sea, Staring at the Wall, Come Away With Me, All This Time, Happy Pills, Carry On E:ncore Long Way Home (Tom Waits), Don’t Know Why
Sun Ra Arkestra band leader and saxophonist Marshall Allen has lived on Earth for a century, but on Saturday night at Opus 40, he pointed to the sky and asked the sold-out crowd “why can’t we go somewhere there?” suggesting he’s still not done with his exploratory, interplanetary jazz mission.
On the Arkestra’s second of two nights headlining Opus 40, part of an eclectic series from Hudson Valley promoters Chosen Family Presents, the 17 piece big band played an energetic 100 minute set, and the 100-year-old Allen never let up for a minute. His ostinato, high-register alto sax and NASA-approved EVI synth sax playing excited the crowd who were in reverent awe of the living legend.
And while recent pieces about Allen’s 100th birthday have populated the pages of The New Yorker and The New York Times, and have certainly enhanced his celebrity, Marshall Allen is pretty much the same musician he’s always been – an acolyte and torch bearer for the life’s work of his old boss Sun Ra. Perhaps that’s why Allen closed the night with this message: “Going to outer space as fast as I can. Ain’t got time to shake your hand.”
It’s hard to shake hands when you’re busy wailing on the sax and tapping your feet. And, let’s face it, the Arkestra isn’t really about one player: it’s an ensemble of the first order, and perhaps the most colorful one going. Adorned in the brightest of future-Egyptians-from-space garb, each member of the Arkestra added his or her individual hue to a melting pot of American, world, and extraterrestrial music. Only the Arkestra can vacillate genres so easily, from free jazz to New Orleans second line to Afro-Futurism to deep blues, to the sound of pure, carefree joy encapsulated in the divine vocals of Tara Middleton.
While it was a hot and muggy day, the evening shade was pleasant and the setlist included a number of shout outs to the cooperation of Mother Nature. While night one was punctuated by some rain, Saturday’s weather got cooler as the band got hotter. Lyrical references to sunsets, sunshine, and the open sky only seemed to help things. And while the band is largely composed of older men, the audience was diverse in age. Children danced alongside parents and hipsters sat on blankets next to aging Deadheads – it was a reminder that Sun Ra music is wonderfully uniting. You can parse it for its academic significance to avant-garde music and the Black experience, or you can let your mind go entirely and just shake your ass to the polyrhythms as the band encouraged in “Carefree”.
Aside from Middleton’s exceptional performance, it’s important to note another member of the Arkestra who stole my attention for long periods of the set. Knoel Scott’s fiery performance on alto sax, baritone sax, conga drum, and vocals stood out. For a number of years now, Scott (who actually played with Sun Ra back in the 80s) has been the de-facto music director and it was fun to watch him signal for the trombones to punctuate a repeating-phrase, or when he called the band back to the head. The guy was intense in the best way possible, with his eyes often rolling back in his head and he attacked his conga drum. At one point, he was noticeably perturbed that the band (who might have been having a little issue with their monitors early in the set) didn’t end a tune together. But, this was just the galactic forces having some fun because one of the lyrical themes of the night was “What do you do when you know that you’re wrong? You’ve got to face the music. You’ve got to listen to the cosmic song” and “You made a mistake. Make another mistake and do something right”.
There were far more “right moments” than mistakes during Saturday’s set. Pretty much every time the group went into “big band mode” for the head of a tune, it was striking just how loud and dynamic the horns were. Trumpeter Cecil Brooks took a number of fine solos and bassist Tyler Mitchell had several shining moments where his soulful walking bass lines ignited the rest of the group. Younger band members Anthony Nelson (baritone sax) and Robert Stringer (trombone) also impressed. Nelson enhanced the low end all night, doubling basslines. Stringer’s solo with a mute late in the set was a particular crowd pleaser. Farid Mitchell also did more than a yeoman’s job as the Sun Ra stand-in on keyboards, especially when he played some rad organ sounds in the set-closer while wearing an incredible mask (my vote for the best Arkestra stage costume).
As for the compositions, the Sun Ra-written hard bop composition “Dancing Shadows” was an exceptional blend of Arkestra poly-rhythm percussion, a tightly played head, and trumpet and alto solos that dipped their toes into the avant-garde stratosphere. The current incarnation of the Arkestra plays jazz a lot more “in” than “out” with Allen adding the “free” elements as more of a garnish than a main dish. Certainly adventurous Ra adherents know that exploring Arkestra albums is sonic adventuring of th first order. Some albums are pretty straight and others send your ears to Jupiter. Those seeking to hear a well-recorded version of “Dancing Shadows” might take a look at the Sun Ra release on ESP-Disk “Nothing Is…”. The album (a personal favorite) features an excellent live performance from a 1966 tour of New York State colleges.
“Boma”, a Marshall Allen composition inspired by a river in Congo, was also a noteworthy moment for a couple of reasons. The piece only exists in the repertoire of the Arkestra in the “under the direction of Marshall Allen” era and it’s a reminder that this particular group of musicians have released a few stellar records in their own right that not only carry on a tradition but have mined new asteroid belts and continue to write. “Boma” is African-influenced and it sounds timeless like much of this music. It could be ancient or from the year 2250, it’s hard to say. What it shares with the Sun Ra music of the past is percussion that extends beyond the jazz cannon and into the African continent in particular (it’s kind of like the music the Arkestra was playing in the early 80s with Salah Ragab and the Cairo Jazz Band and not all that far removed from the reverie of artists like Fela Kuti who just relentlessly groove).
During the show, I saw a fair amount of people rocking t-shirts with stealies, skulls, and roses on them and I was struck by just how much the live music of The Grateful Dead shares with the Arkestra. Even though the bands operate in different genres, their most analogous characteristics are their emphasis on collective improvisation, which makes it so fun to watch various members of the group to see just exactly how they are coloring the mix. Both groups also have an incredible ability to hold an audience in the palm of their hand. At times the music may fall short of expectations, but when it’s firing, like it was during “Carefree” towards the end of Sun Ra Arkestra’s set, the divide between performers and audience crumble and EVERYONE knows that the music is right. You can see it on the faces of the musicians and you can turn around and see that just about everyone is out of their lawn chairs and dancing. It’s a special kind of magic, especially when you’re on top of a mountain in a gorgeous sculpture park like Opus 40.
And like bearded Bobby Weir, Marshall Allen is a mainline back to the origin of Sun Ra, an American original just like Jerry. Just as Jerry took his roots in bluegrass and folk music and mined new territory in psychedelic rock music, Sun Ra left a world of big band jazz standards and oddball lounge music in search of something bigger, more spiritual, and decidedly weirder (and consequently more original).
Let’s be glad that Marshall Allen continues to play and preserve this music so that new ears can fall down the wormhole of endless recordings that the Arkestra left behind. And what’s more, let’s celebrate that this music can still be shared in person, where the experience is transcendent, immediate, and always unexpected.
Marshall Allen is here on Earth, but only to remind us that space is the place. His final frontier feels distant yet, and I’m ecstatic that because of his recent birthday, his star is burning brighter than ever.
Setlist: Face the Music, Sunology, Dancing Shadows, Dorothy’s Dance, Love in Outer Space, Boma, Make Another Mistake, Space is the Place/If We Came From Nowhere Here, Blues Jam, Care Free, Watch the Sunshine
Poughkeepsie-based jazz artist Cory Wong released his newest single, “Quotidian Fields,” on June 28. The second single off of his forthcoming album, Starship Syncopation, “Quotidian Fields” saw Wong collaborate with Metropole Orkest and piano icon Bruce Hornsby. Moreover, this newest single brings a bright, fresh sound to the world of jazz, and creates excitement for Wong’s newest album.
Known for his solo work with artists including the Dave Matthews Band, Vulfpeck, and many more, Cory Wong has been refreshing jazz since the late 2000s. In like manner, his newest single with Bruce Hornsby and Metropole Orkest, a jazz orchestra based in the Netherlands, is just the latest addition to his laundry list of fantastic collaborations.
After all, Cory Wong’s “Quotidian Fields” gives us a glimpse into his mind. In the early stages of the single, Wong and Hornsby used samples and previously discarded tunes to brainstorm their ideas. When Hornsby sent Wong the piano riff heard at the beginning of the single, he knew that it was the perfect symbol of what he envisioned in his mind: a grandfather clock in the middle of the desert with mountains in the background. Hornsby’s piano tunes represent the clock, as something classic, elegant, and easily recognizable. The additional guitars and bass represent the mountain ranges in the background: something strong, powerful, and grounding that doesn’t take away from the grandfather clock standing before it. As a result the orchestra parts, mainly brass and drums, are meant to represent the desert, where the whole landscape is.
Additionally, the arrangement and orchestration are inspired by a lot of classic American classical music. Inspiration from American classical composers like Aaron Copeland, George Gershwin, and Leonard Bernstein is obvious, as the single moves forward to a rising crescendo, then transitions into a full orchestra that still manages to uphold the elegance of Hornsby’s original piano riff.
Cory Wong officially begins his tour in October. In addition to his Fall Tour, Wong will be performing two shows at the 2024 Caroga Lake Music Festival from July 30-31. He will also be part of the Caroga Arts Collective on Wednesday, July 31, where a raffle for a limited edition Fender guitar will be held. Moreover only 100 raffle tickets will be sold at $100 each and can be purchased HERE.
Below are Cory Wong’s official Fall Tour dates. For more information and tickets, visit his official website.
This July, the city of Troy hosts two separate concert series and a special live event at Powers and Riverfront Park.
“Rockin’ on the River,” which began on June 26, will last through to August 7, with concerts every other week on Wednesday.
The Powers Park series begins on July 13 and will last until August 24, with concerts happening weekly on Saturdays. The Uncle Sam Jam at Powers Park will be a special live event at Powers Park on July 27.
Similarly, each concert series features a wide range of local and regional musicians and fun free for the whole family.
Presented by the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District, “Rockin’ on the River” is a free concert series hosted at Riverfront Park in downtown Troy. Rockin’ on the River includes four nights of rock ‘n ‘ roll, roots, and blues music alongside local food and drink vendors. The concerts are held weekly on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm, featuring two artists each night, with the exception of the performance scheduled for July 10. Fans can enjoy the display of food, drinks, and music for free, with no tickets necessary.
Below is the weekly lineup for Rockin’ on the River, and for more information, visit their website linked here. Due to severe weather and thunderstorms, the Rockin’ on the River concert on July 10 has been postponed for one week. Fans can still catch Hot Cousin, the Chris Busone Band, and The Albany Rock Pit Showcase Band on July 17 at 5:30 pm.
Rockin’ on the River Series Lineup
June 26: Skeeter Creek with Road Soda Pop
July 17 (postponed from 7/10): Hot Cousin with The Chris Butone Band and the Albany Rock Pit Showcase Band
July 24: Blues for Breakfast with Side B
August 7: Crash My Party (The Ultimate Luke Bryan Tribute Band) with Joe Adee & The Lug Nuts
Sponsored by local businesses, the Powers Park series has served the concertgoers and the community for over twenty years. Since 2004, crowds have returned every Saturday evening to see the best in local entertainment on the Neil Kelleher Stage. Over the last two decades, the Powers Park series has become one of the city’s most anticipated events, bringing free music, food, and entertainment to the citizens of Troy. The park is located at 110th Street and Second Avenue in North Troy. Moreover, the full lineup of the series is below. Concerts are every Saturday, starting July 13 until August 24.
Powers Park Series Lineup
July 13: Brian Kane and The Beginning
July 20: Super 400
August 3: Triffid
August 10: Grit and Whiskey
August 17: Matt Mirabile Band
August 24: E-Block
Finally, the Uncle Sam Jam is a one-time event at Powers Park. In collaboration with the Combat Vets Association, the Uncle Sam Jam is a celebration of veterans and those who have served in combat. The concert is chock full of free food and music from local vendors. Join the Joe Mele Project and the Pat Travers Band for a night of rock and roll, free for the entire family.
The 2024 Chenango Blues Festival lineup, on Aug. 16 and 17, features the Devon Allman Project wsg JD Simo, Jimmy Hall, Ghalia Volt, and more at the Chenango County Fairgrounds.
The Chenango Blues Fest is a family-friendly event run by an all-volunteer staff. Their motto is “by fans, for fans.” The Chenango Blues Fest is the 2016 recipient of The Blues Foundations Keeping the Blues Alive award as well as a two-time recipient of the Russell J. Perlman Award for the most outstanding project to apply for an NYS Decentralization grant, which is administered by the Chenango Arts Fund.
The Devon Allman Project is a six-piece world-class band that has previously toured almost 20 countries. The band is led by Devon Allman, son of The Allman Brothers guitarist Gregg Allman. The band is known for gracefully blending genres and jam in the same way that the Allman family is known for.
Other performers include Paul Thorn – a bluesy, rocking, and thoroughly Southern American who speaks universal truths; Bywater Call, a powerhouse seven-piece Southern soul, a roots rock band from Toronto, Canada; Sue Fole, a virtual triple threat as a lead guitarist, singer, and songwriter; award-winning guitar virtuoso and soul-deep singer Coco Montoya; and more.
Camping has become a very popular way to enjoy the festival and the ranks of people setting up tents or bringing in RVs grows every year. This year the fairgrounds is planning to install more RV hookups to try and keep up with demand. Those bringing tents have a nice area under the trees (and some even under cover!) and there is a shower building on site. The stages are right on the grounds so it’s a great way to enjoy the festivities.
The festival also has a nice variety of food and craft vendors to go along with the music and on Saturday there is a children’s craft tent for the younger fans. With the Thursday and Friday shows being free all you need to do is buy a ticket for Saturday to enjoy award winning blues all weekend long for this great family friendly event.
Tickets for the 2024 Chenango Blues Festival are on sale now.
11:30 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. – Benny Turner with the Tommy Z Band 12:45 – 1:45 p.m. – Chris O’Leary 2:45 – 4:00 p.m. – Sue Foley 5:15 – 6:30 p.m. – Ruthie Foster 7:40 – 9:00 p.m. – Devon Allman Project wsg JD Simo, Jimmy Hall, and Ghalia Volt
Saturday, August 19
Tent Stage
1:45 – 2:45 p.m. – Tinsley Ellis 4:00 – 5:15 p.m. – John Gros Band 6:30 – 7:40 p.m. – Robert Finley 9:00 – 10:15 p.m. – Coco Montoya
On June 21, NYC-based punk rock band WYLDLIFE released their newest single, “Fast Dreams.” The new single is the band’s first release since their 2020 album, “Year of the Snake.” Complete with fast-paced guitar riffs, a moving bassline, and exciting, gritty vocals, “Fast Dreams,” WYLDLIFE makes headbanging-worthy rock and roll music fun again.
For over the last decade, WYLDLIFE has brought the 70s rock and roll style back to New York City’s music scene. Their fun-filled single and music video are the latest thing to come out of their label, Wicked Cool Records. WYLDLIFE has four members: Dave Feldman (vocals), Sam Allen (guitar), Spencer Alexander (bass), and Russ Barrnett (drums), each committed to bringing back the classic sounds of the 70s like Blondie and Ramones. Since 2009, WYLDLIFE has released 4 full studio albums and were nominated for an Independent Music Award for Best Rock/Hard Rock Song.
Their newest single, however, is a captivating mix of sounds from different eras. The 70s inspiration is absolutely prevalent, but upon first listen, it feels like a 2000s power anthem. The fast-moving bassline, combined with Feldman’s vocals, is reminiscent of alt-rock outfits like Palaye Royale, Arcade Fire, and The White Stripes. Amidst the current ever-popular trap and indie-pop scene, WYLDLIFE’s newest single is a fantastic juxtaposition that has all the right elements of nostalgia, yet still manages to sound fresh, original, and new.
The lyrics of “Fast Dreams” tell an incredibly relatable story about someone excited for their dreams to come true while having to wrestle with the mundane parts of life. “Fast Dreams” brings us a familiar narrative about someone trying to make their dreams come true as fast as possible because they are simply too excited for success. “Fast Dreams” feels like a song that would belong on the soundtrack of a coming-of-age movie, with the narrator’s contradictory feelings of angst and excitement.
Along with their newest single, the music video for “Fast Dreams” is also out for consumption. Animated in the style of a 2-bit arcade game, the music video features WYLDLIFE as video game characters, racing against reality and time to achieve their goal. The message of the single is executed perfectly, and it is obvious that the group had a blast when creating the video together. “Fast Dreams” was the best thing to come out of their four-year-long hiatus.
“Fast Dreams” is available on all streaming platforms. To watch their music video or check out any of WYLDLIFE’s other powerhouse anthems, check them out on Bandcamp. For any touring information, follow their Facebook page.
In Buffalo, from July 5-7, the Savannah Bananas‘ made their latest stop as part of their 2024 world tour. Moreover fans eagerly anticipated the arrival of Banana Ball’s newest team, the Firefighters. This series marked three games out of 19 on the Bananas’ tour schedule.
The previous series saw the Bananas and the Party Animals clash in Savannah and Las Vegas, with the Bananas also having faced off against the Firefighters in Nashville and Savannah.
The Firefighters made their much-anticipated debut on May 30, shaking up the tour dynamics. Traditionally, the Bananas exclusively faced the Party Animals in each World Tour game until now. With the introduction of the Firefighters, both the Bananas and the Party Animals will compete against this new team. Notably, the Party Animals are set for their own 12-game headline leg of the Tour.
Over the course of this three-game series at Sahlen Field, more than 49,000 fans were entertained. The Bananas currently lead the 2024 Tour with a record of 31-22, having recently clinched a series victory in Indianapolis. The Bananas have now won all three of their games played in Buffalo.
Who are the Savannah Bananas?
For local interest, pitcher Ryan Kellogg of the Bananas hails from Whitby, Ontario, Canada. The Bananas’ journey began in 2015 in Savannah, where they revitalized baseball with a focus on fun and fan engagement. Despite early challenges, including financial strain that led owners Jesse and Emily Cole to sell their home, the team gained national attention upon adopting the name Savannah Bananas in 2016. Initially controversial, the name brought significant media coverage and packed stadiums, setting a precedent for their success.
After seven seasons in the Coastal Plain League, during which they won three Petitt Cup Championships and saw over 35 players drafted, the Bananas transitioned to year-round Banana Ball, a faster-paced and more entertaining version of baseball. Now fielding three independent professional teamsâthe Savannah Bananas, the Party Animals, and the Firefightersâthe organization continues to innovate and expand its impact on the sport.
Banana Ball is defined by its unique set of 11 rules aimed at keeping the game exciting and competitive. This year, a new rule called the GOLDEN BATTER has been introduced, allowing each team one opportunity per game to send any hitter to the plate, regardless of their position in the lineup or the game situation. This rule is designed to intensify close games and offer a strategic advantage to either team.
Palace Theater’s free movie series will return this year with eight free family-friendly movie screenings. The series will open one hour before the movie starts for fun & educational activities. On August 28, the series’ finale, the Palace Theater will host an Ice Cream Social immediately following the screening of Spider Man: Into The Spider Verse.
Palace Theater Gives Back
The movie series is part of Palace Theater’s Community Engagement Initiative. Thus the initiative has garnered local support from numerous donors, including Stewart’s Shops, who will be providing ice cream for the Ice Cream Social. Art, educational activities, games, and giveaways will take place before the movie starts. Additionally free popcorn will be provided for all children 12 and younger.
Moreover Broadway’s Chief Community Officer Kathy Lanni expressed her excitement about the Palace Theater movie series, saying, “The Palace is the perfect place for families to beat the heat, spend quality time together, and gain an appreciation for the arts and the rich history of our community.”
For the past 80 years, The Palace has been a landmark of Albany’s downtown. The theater maintains its original beauty and design from its construction in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, and is a historical landmark in the City of Albany. Chiefly the Palace’s mission is to bring world-class arts and entertainment to New York’s Capital Region. Through performing arts entertainment, free arts education, family-friendly performances, free summer movies and a classic movie program series, the Palace continues to give back to the community.
As a result local businesses like Stewart’s Shopshave made generous donation to the Palace Theater. A report of a previous summer music series is available here, and free tickets are available at the following link.
Palace Theater Movie Series Dates
Tue, July 9: Wish Tue, July 16: Shrek Tue, July 23: The Lion King Tue, July 30: Wonka Tue, Aug. 6: TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Tue, Aug. 13: Trolls: Band Together Tue, Aug. 20: The Princess and the Frog Wed, Aug. 28: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
