Earlier this month, Atlanta based Blackberry Smoke transformed New York’s Hill Country basement into a hillbilly hoedown of sorts, to steal words from their track “Up In Smoke.”
“We’re playing in the basement in New York City and it’s beautiful. We came to boogie, didn’t we?” frontman Charlie Starr asked the energetic crowd.
With screams and raised beer bottles, the audience agreed.
The band exudes classic Southern rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd. It comes as no surprise then, that Blackberry Smoke have shared the stage with ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shooter Jennings, Cross Canadian Ragweed, among others.
Their set November 2 at Hill Country combined gritty electric guitar riffs, rollicking keyboards, a steady drumbeat and Starr’s charismatic stage presence, making for a captivating show. Blending Southern rock, country and blues, the soulful act had everyone in the basement dancing and clapping along.
Performing for nearly two hours, one hour in Starr let the crowd know that they weren’t going anywhere.
“Don’t get in a hurry, we’ve got a lot of boogieing left to do,” he said.
While Blackberry Smoke performed many of the tracks off their most recent release, Little Piece of Dixie, including their hit “Good One Comin’ On” and the stand-out “Restless,” their two hour set spanned their catalog with older fan favorites like the bluesy “Son Of A Bourbon.”
In between songs, the lively crowd would frequently scream song requests that were often fulfilled soon after. With a killer live show and collaborations with George Jones and Jamey Johnson, Blackberry Smoke continue to impress. With any luck, they’ll soon become a household name.
For more on Blackberry Smoke, visit their Website. Watch their video for “Good One Comin’ On” below.
The Drums played to a sold-out crowd Monday night at Bowery Ballroom. Their third New York show and final North American tour date before a stint of performances in Europe, the Brooklyn based band proved just why they’ve become one of New York’s most buzzed about bands.
With dance along beats, driving percussion and a charismatic frontman, The Drums showcased their staying power. In fact, it was hard not to be captivated by Jonny Pierce flailing his body around the stage, mic in hand and arms contorted in various positions throughout the show.
Their 80-minute set combined fan favorites from their self-titled debut release and current LP, Portamento. While energetic single “Money” had the audience singing and dancing along, tracks like “If He Likes It Let Him Do It” slowed down the pace of the night with deeper vocals and an intriguing drum beat.
“Oh New York, you’re making us feel so great. It feels so therapeutic to us and kind of heals us,” Pierce told his hometown crowd. “We have to go to Europe in 20 days but we’d love to stay in New York for the rest of our lives.”
Concertgoers shared the same sentiment as many screamed out song requests, most of which were later performed. From songs about Pierce’s dead dog to a track dedicated to Girl Scouts everywhere, the band impressed with layered textures, dark bass parts and enticing synthesizer. Though they won’t be staying in New York for long, the band’s next homecoming is sure to be equally well received.
For more on The Drums, visit their Website. Be sure to watch their album-themed web series, “Visiomento,” (episode 1 below.) Each Tuesday, the band airs a new episode through their website and YouTube page, featuring song previews, special guests, exclusive interviews, in-studio performances and more. To watch each episode, click here.
Over 900 bands performed throughout New York this past week during the annual CMJ Music Marathon. For five days and five nights, music lovers scoured the City to discover up-and-coming acts, and in some cases found themselves new fans. Here are five acts from the festival to keep on your radar.
Friday afternoon I attended the “Beyond Blogfamous” panel where Bruce Warren, Assistant Station Manager/Programmer of WXPN, raved about Alabama Shakes. He said something along the lines of them being the one band that has a shot of bringing rock & roll back. Naturally, I was intrigued. Turns out they were playing later that night at Bowery Ballroom so I made sure to catch their show.
From the moment Brittany Howard belted her first lyric on set opener “Hold On,” she captivated every ear in the venue. Her voice brings to mind Amy Winehouse with the power of Aretha Franklin. A distinct ’60s Motown vibe is heard throughout many of their tracks. On “You Ain’t Alone” she growls, “If you’re gonna cry, cry with me” while the rest of the band adds to the mix. With bombastic guitar riffs, soulful keyboard interludes and a heart pounding drumbeat, Alabama Shakes prove they’re a force to reckon with. As one festival-goer told me during the show, “You feel like you’re watching something special.” I couldn’t agree more.
I featured Deep River as a Band of the Week last year and their set Saturday night at Rockwood Music Hall reminded me just why. The Virgina based trio exude confidence, often joking with the audience and enticing fan participation while onstage. With alternated singing between Rachel Beauregard and Bryan Dawley along with Luke Brindley on guitar, the country-fused band transported the New York City venue to the South. With foot stomping rhythms and mandolin accompaniment throughout much of their set, the band impressed. Newer songs like the soulful “Settin’ the House on Fire,” co-written in Nashville, showcase the band’s staying power.
Earlier last week I interviewed Matt Cranstoun and he informed me that he’d have gospel singers performing with him during his CMJ showcase Saturday night. I couldn’t remember ever witnessing gospel singers perform at a rock show so I was curious. Though his set only lasted for 30 minutes, Cranstoun and his backup singers held the room in the palm of their hands.
As each song ended, the audience hollered for more. From Cranstoun’s crisp singing style to soaring musical accompaniment from his band and the help of three powerful gospel singers, his audience was the most engaged of any CMJ showcase I attended. After the set, I praised their performance and Cranstoun said, “November 19th will be much better.” The day of his record release for The Last Drop of Color, he’ll be performing Nov. 19 at Mercury Lounge.
Having opened for Coldplay at 60,000 capacity venues, the South Africa-based band stopped in New York during CMJ for a performance at Highline Ballroom. Though the room was a bit smaller than the crowds they’re used to, The Parlotones didn’t alter their set in the slightest. Between frontman Kahn Morbee’s charismatic and theatrical stage presence, arena friendly choruses, and killer guitar riffs, the band won over their American audience. Songs like set opener “Life Design” satisfied with haunting vocals while The Parlotones’ energetic encore included a fast-paced Elvis Presley cover of “Burning Love.” While the band has sold more records than Coldplay, Oasis and The Killers combined in South Africa, it’s only a matter of time until the rest of the world catches on.
You know you really like a band when you attend more than one of their showcases during CMJ. Brooklyn-based We Are Augustines wowed a sold-out crowd at Bowery Ballroom Wednesday night. With gritty guitar, soaring horn interludes & frontman Billy McCarthy’s emotive, wavering vocals, the band had a similar effect at each of their remaining festival performances.
The band took the stage shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday night and had the audience screaming along until the close of their set an hour later. “I hope this is a celebration for you because it is for us. It’s been a little while since we’ve headlined here so we appreciate it,” McCarthy said. The majority of their show included songs off debut release, Rise Ye Sunkin Ships along with a solid cover of Joe Strummer’s “Road to Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Songs like the energetic “Chapel Song” hypnotized while the poignant “Book of James” struck a chord. For more on the band, read my interview here.
Martina McBride made history Friday (Oct. 14) night: The first artist to perform atop the Empire State Building, the country singer said it was an honor.
“It’s something I never dreamed of. It’s just really humbling to think that I’m performing on top of this iconic, world-famous building,” McBride said before the show.
In partnership with Stanford Women’s Cancer Center, McBride’s 30-minute NYC set included her powerful new single, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” a song about a woman battling breast cancer. She went on to explain the importance of singing it to a room of breast cancer survivors.
“I think it’s going to be one of the most memorable moments of my career,” she said. “It’s so powerful to be among these strong, courageous women and sing a song that means so much to me and I’ve been told means a lot to survivors as well. You can never really judge what impact a song is going to have, but I just felt in my heart that it would make a difference to someone. I felt like it would lift someone up, give someone hope and that’s why I did it. That’s what music should do.”
Days after their Austin City Limits appearance, Coldplay headed to New York for a slightly scaled down, but no less energetic set at Ed Sullivan Theater on September 20th. Their hour-long performance included a slew of past hits and tracks off their upcoming October 24th release, Mylo Xyloto. While select New York fans had a coveted seat inside the theater, others could watch the set live streamed on CBS.com.
At 8 p.m. Coldplay took the stage as their instruments glowed in bright neon graffiti art. After a brief piano introduction, enigmatic frontman Chris Martin grabbed the mic for “Hurts Like Heaven,” off their upcoming LP. Laser strobe lights glistened onstage as he danced.
The band’s classic ballad “Yellow” followed to screams as Martin’s familiar high vocals resonated throughout the room. Those same shrieks were heard continuously during fan favorites “Viva la Vida,” “The Scientist,” “Clocks,” and “Fix You.”
“I can see you clearly, maybe a little too clearly,” Martin joked. “We’re going to play some new songs you’ll probably be a little confused on, but in six months time you won’t believe you heard [them here] first.”
For my complete review, visit Rolling Stone. Watch Coldplay’s performance below.
One of their first gigs together in quite some time, you’d never be able to tell as The Barr Brothers‘ performance last Wednesday at Mercury Lounge was impeccable. Layered guitar textures, glistening harp interludes and heart-pounding percussion encompassed their breathtaking 45-minute set.
The four-piece, made up of brothers Brad and Andrew Barr on vocals/guitar and percussion, classically trained harpist Sarah Page, and multi-instrumentalist Andres Vial, formed in Montreal. A rather serendipitous occurrence, while Brad was working on music at his first apartment in Montreal, Page’s melodies would seep into his adjoining wall, influencing the music he was writing. A friendship ensued and they began recording and performing together around Montreal.
Wednesday night showcased many of the tracks off their self-titled LP, as well as a few unreleased tracks. Compared to The Avett Brothers and Blitzen Trapper, the band impressed. Shortly after 7 p.m., The Barr Brothers took the stage as Page’s transcendent harp interlude filled the room. The band soon joined in, creating an atmospheric mood with delicate percussion and guitar features before Brad’s soothing vocals entered for “Beggar In the Morning.”
The beautiful “Old Mythologies” followed suit with intricate guitar finger picking, wavering harmonica and hand-clapped rhythms before stand-out number, “Lord, I Just Can’t Keep From Crying” was played. A heavier sound than previously heard, the faster paced track impressed with jaw-dropping electric guitar parts and a steady drum build up. An evident crowd favorite, the room erupted in applause once the song was finished.
After performing tracks off their upcoming release, which drops Sept. 27th, the band debuted a few new songs. “You’ll just have to wait about a year if you like the last two songs. They’re not on this record,” Brad joked.
The remainder of The Barr Brothers’ set included Brad and Page riffing off each other on guitar and harp as the packed room danced along before they ended the night in the middle of the stage on acoustic guitars.
For more on The Barr Brothers, visit their Web site. Watch their performance of “Beggar In the Morning” below. If you like what you hear, be sure to pick up a copy of their debut release September 27.
Last month, I headed to Williamsburg for Dave Chaitt’s Backyard Brunch Sessions. Founded and hosted by Chaitt, every few weekends in the summer he invites friends and music industry enthusiasts to his apartment in Brooklyn for homemade breakfast and an unplugged set of music. Since the weather that weekend called for rain he moved the show from his backyard to The Richardson, a nearby bar.
Teletextile took the floor first with beautiful, ethereal vocals from singer Pamela Martinez. Throughout her set she alternated on harp and accordion.
“This is my accordion playing debut song so I’m getting excitingly nervous,” she said before the band segued into “Distant Places.” As her voice reverberated throughout the back room, it was hard to believe she had never played accordion live before.
The remainder of the band’s set featured breathtaking harp features and impressive banjo and mandolin accompaniment. To listen to Teletextile’s complete performance by NYCTaper click here.
Minerva Lions were up next and transformed The Richardson to another time period with their soulful harmonies and a solid cover of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me.” The band performed songs off their debut EP as well as three unreleased tracks. To listen to their set click here.
For additional photos and to read more about the Backyard Brunch performance, click here.
Over the weekend, thousands of music fans trekked to Rouyn-Noranda, a small Québec mining town north of Montreal, for the Emerging Music Festival. In its ninth year, the festival showcased numerous Canadian acts, many alternating between English and French during their sets.
Throughout four days, 60 bands performed in local bars, restaurants and theaters, some who drove several hours just for a 30-minute slot onstage. A communal environment, the bands remained in town for the weekend and it was common to attend a show and stand next to the artist you saw perform the day before.
The festival kicked off Thursday night simultaneously at an outdoor stage on Seventh Street and at local church Agora Des Arts, allowing attendees to run back and forth across the street to witness multiple acts.
Montreal rockers Passwords took to the outdoor space, where locals congregated. Both young and older audience members were taken by the aggressive, lush set, which served as an impressive introduction of what to expect in the upcoming days.
Across the street in an old church, eerie red lighting surrounded the ethereal Muse Hill during their set, which blended jazz, folk, and country undertones. The unique performance included an interview with Hunter S. Thompson blasting from speakers alongside Juno-nominated saxophonist Chet Doxas. The band transformed the church into a 50s jazz revival with a solid cover of Jimmy Giuffre’s “The Train and the River.”
No amount of rain could deter country fans from witnessing a landmark performance by Kenny Chesney this past weekend. Already the genre’s top touring act, Chesney surpassed the previous 1983 record of most country tickets sold in the New York/New Jersey area, according to a representative for Chesney, when he played the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Saturday.
The previous title was held by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and Linda Ronstadt, who drew more than 51,000 in 1983. Chesney’s show Saturday with Zac Brown Band, Billy Currington and Uncle Kracker exceeded 1983’s record with 55,239 tickets.
Not an easy feat, Chesney proved just why he’s a must-see act for country fans. Performing for well over two hours, his electric live show impressed. Remarkably personable, he told many of the stories behind his songs and then dedicated each track to audience members in similar situations. There were songs about following your dreams, including the energetic “Big Star,” to every form of love imaginable. Love at first sight (“Anything But Mine”), love that’s not good for you (“You and Tequila”) and love of football (“Boys of Fall”).
New York Apple Store shoppers got a special treat last Thursday in SoHo when singer-songwriter Mat Kearney performed a 45-minute set. During the week of his album release, Young Love, and after three days of it being the No. 1 album on iTunes, Kearney was overjoyed to be sharing the moment with a room full of fans who deciphered his cryptic Twitter updates throughout the day to find out about the free performance.
At 7 pm, Kearney took the stage to claps and screams from fans excited to see him. “You’re happy? You should try being me this week. It’s been a fun week,” he told the packed second floor.
On acoustic guitar with accompaniment by keyboard player Fred Williams, Kearney began his set with fan favorite “Closer to Love.” In fact, the night included many of his older classics, much to the audience’s excitement. “Ships In the Night,” off his new release shortly followed.
“I’ve never played this song live, but it went higher than any song on iTunes so I should probably play it,” Kearney admitted. Segueing from higher vocals to a slowed spoken word feature, Kearney impressed.
While fans enjoyed some of the newer tracks, it was his older hits that garnered the most screams. Older classics “Nothing Left to Lose,” “City of Black and White,” and “Girl In America” were well received, but it was “Undeniable” that left the biggest mark. Changing up the lyrics mid-track for the city he was in, the room erupted as he rapped for the “Jersey and bridge and tunnel” crowd.
Constantly interacting with the crowd, Kearney referenced a mother playing peek-a-boo with her baby during “Undeniable” and then chatted with her once the song ended.
“You’re playing peek-a-boo with your baby and I think you’re doing it with me. It’s freaking me out! You’re looking right at me,” he said.
Soon after, Kearney asked fans what they wanted to hear and when they requested some of his new tracks he joked, “So the problem is we’ve never played these songs and I’m still learning them on guitar. This is like rehearsal with you guys.”
Despite his confession, he played new track, “Young Dumb and In Love” for one fan. Afterward, he admitted he had the wrong chords. “Sorry. You didn’t notice though because I’m a pro,” he joked.
Another new song, Kearney explained the story behind “Rochester,” a track he wrote for his father. A heartbreaking tale, Kearney said his father cries every time he hears it. Alone on acoustic guitar, his voice reverberated throughout the silent room.
“I promise the whole record won’t bum you out that much,” Kearney said as he finished the song. “He made it out alright,” he said talking of his father leaving Rochester.
Extremely appreciative, before he ended his set with energetic new single, “Hey Mama,” he profusely thanked the audience. “This has been an amazing week. I feel a little bit in shock. It’s amazing when you work so hard and people are so supportive. It’s for people like you why I do what I do.”
After teaching the audience their parts to sing along, Kearney informed them that “Hey Mama” is about meeting his wife in a clothing store and further convinced fans to sing with him.
“You’ve always wanted to sing in the Apple Store. This is what dreams are made of!”
Kearney will be taking the US by storm this fall with a headlining tour. For more info, visit his Web site. Be sure to watch his performance of “Hey Mama” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno below.
