Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad | Brooklyn Bowl | 12.7.2012
Peter L Spadaro III BROOKLYN, NY – Friday Night at the Brooklyn Bowl is where most bands on the touring circuit wish they could be, and is always a platform for the best live music in New York City. This is especially true when a seasoned, but fresh band like Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad hits the stage with fistfuls of fury. Walking into The Bowl there was a certain buzz in the air, which immediately opened my eyes and got me excited for what was to come. The fellas from Rochester, NY hit the stage giving everything they could. Seeing these guys for the first time- my expectations were none, and boy did that…
Ben Folds 5 at The Capitol Theater
(Photos and Review by Joe Madonna) PORT CHESTER, NY -Has it really been 15 years since I last saw Ben Folds Five live on stage? I guess so. One of my favorite Alternative Indie college rock bands from the 90′s! I think I saw them at least four or five times back then. The Capitol Theater was buzzing with excitement for the band. Kate Miller Hedike warmed up the show with her opera-esque pop sound. The lights dimmed a little bit and the band walked on stage. Everybody in the band walked out with smiles on their faces waving to a loud applause from the crowd. It was great to see them back where they…
Gallery & Review: Marco Benevento at The Blockley
(Philadelphia, PA) Marco Benevento trekked through a snowstorm to perform at The Blockley, in the middle of a five show jaunt through the Northeast. Occupying the space formerly home to the venerable Chestnut Cabaret, the Blockley is run by true music lovers, showcasing nationally touring and local bands 4-5 nights a week- its intimate stage, big dancefloor with chill spaces, and friendly hospitality, make it a gem in Philly’s concert scene. Before the show I had an opportunity to ask Mr. Benevento what to expect, he explained, “It’s all instrumental music- a real acoustic piano, hot-rodded with guitar and piano pickups going through various distortion pedals, guitar effects, and amps, so it’s like, ‘rock piano meets…
Gallery & Review: Lotus, Conspirator, Emancipator @ The Congress Theater
Words and Photos by Emily Stout (Chicago, IL) It was a joyous day, way back before Thanksgiving, when it was announced to the world that a trifecta of talent was to converge on one special night in the heart of the Midwest. Happy dances were performed, friends were called, and travel plans were secured. A comfortably welcoming yet energized melting pot such as Chicago would play the ideal host; a place where one can combine synthesizers, violins, guitars, and laptops, and attract a crowd with appreciation and excitement for each. And so it was written.. Lotus, Conspirator, and Emancipator were to take the Congress Theater by storm on February 17, 2012. Each leg of the…
Gallery & Review: Lotus @ The Intersection
Words and Photos by Emily Stout (Grand Rapids, Michigan) On just the second night of their month-long winter tour, Lotus headed for the west side of the great Mitten state. They filled the modern warehouse-style venue, The Intersection, with hoards of fans eager to see what the group had in store for them this time. The evening opened with a showcase of Beard-o-Bees, Jesse Miller‘s solo electronica act. As one of the main songwriters for Lotus (with brother Luke Miller), it was nice to hear an even wider display of his many musical talents. The short break that followed was the only downtime of the entire evening – when the full band took the…
STS9 | NYC | 10.22.2011
Words By: Carly Photos by: Nick Irving NEW YORK, NY – In support of their latest EP When The Dust Settles, Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) made a stop in New York City to visit Times Square’s Best Buy Theater (formally the Nokia Theater) and the scene outside was just as busy as the rest of the Square. Fingers were up for the sold out show and even though police were present, the lot kids designated a corner for smoking and selling wraps adjacent to the venue. Getting in was no problem, security was loose and the spacious theater is quite welcoming. DJ opener Polish Ambassador had over an hour before STS9’s set but unfortunately,…
Particle and Shwizz @ Mexicali Live – 9/22/2011
Mexicali Live – Teaneck NJ This past Thursday, Particle and Shwizz co-headlined Mexicali Live in a two team tutorial on everything jazz and funk. Shwizz is a young six piece featuring Gerson Rosen on trumpet, Brad Pfiefer on trombone and 2 percussionists- Andy Boxer and Paul Hollands, along with Ryan Liatsis AKA Shwizz on guitar,and lead bass. Their bass player, Frankie Coda, is one of the most dynamic players in the tri-state area,and primed to be the next Bootsy Collins. For their last tune at Mexicali, Shwizz was joined by Particle’s Steve Molitz for a heavy jazz rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” (see video below). Shwizz has been quickly rising from side stage…
YMSB @ The Landing 8.16.11
I had the privilege of seeing Yonder Mountain String Band, one of my favorites, on August 16th in Peoria on the banks of the Illinois River. Before arriving at the venue, Jay Miller (photographer) and I stopped at Richard’s for a quick bite to eat. We stepped outside for some fresh air before our food arrived and were treated to the sight of Jeff Austin, Yonder’s mandolin player, walking by on a jaunt through downtown Peoria. We hollered hello and he waved and continued on his way as cool as a cucumber. That was definitely a highlight of our night and really pumped us up for the show. After a delicious dinner we made our…
Gallery: UV Hippo
Ultraviolet Hippopotamus is a five piece rock band from Grand Rapids, Michigan whose strength in original compositions and ability in effortlessly flowing from one genre to another has made them a captivating force in the midwest music scene. The energy, crowd banter and light show make this band hard to ignore. It started in the summer of ’04 when a few friends from Big Rapids, Michigan got together for a few low-key jam sessions. Before they knew it, they had established a couple of sets of music containing fun covers and even some original musings. As they tried to settle on a name for their new group, they stumbled across a story containing a fictional…
Gallery & Review: Umphrey’s McGee @ Orbit Room | 2011
(Please allow us to introduce a new contributing member of the BTJ team, Victoria Zegler. Zegler is a student at CMU and recently worked with us documenting the Electric Forest Festival for Docufest: Music | Ambiance | Production.) I have a confession to make: This is my first time seeing Umphrey’s McGee live and I am now hooked. Once I was given the opportunity to capture the Chicago based jam band, I was interested to see what all the noise was about. Little did I know you don’t go to an Umphrey’s concert for the madness; you go to witness larger than life improvisation by an incredible group of musicians. When Umphrey’s played the Orbit…
