Greetings! The incredible live music continues! Last week, on Wednesday, I went to see Jorma Kaukonen and Barry Mitteroff at The Bearsville Theater. It was good, but it was a typical, sleepy, acoustic Jorma show. I left as soon as it ended. I’ll wait for electric Hot Tuna to play The Beacon in November.

Then Thursday, it was UPAC for 3, and Coheed and Cambria, both of which feature the sons of my favorite local guitarist, Jimmy Eppard. 3 opened the show, and they were amazing! Weaving intricate rhythms and notes, they cast a spell for the audience! I wanted to get a drink, but I didn’t want to miss a note!

Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria
at UPAC, Kingston, 9-13-12
Photograph by C3 Photography, Catharina Christiana

Joey Eppard and Chris Gartmann of 3
at UPAC, Kinbgston, 9-13-12
Photograph by C3 Photography, Catharina Christiana

Guitarists Joey Eppard and Billy Riker led the band through a series of genre mixing songs while the amazing rock solid rhythm section of drummer Chris Gartmann and bassist Danny Grimsland demonstrated how it’s done! This is a band of stars, and as good as Joey and Billy are, and they are very good, for me, the real stars of the show were Chris and Danny! These two are a world class rhythm section, and both are destined to be included in the ranks of the greats! In fact, the entire band probably will be after this tour with Coheed and Cambria is over. They’ll finish it up having been seen by twenty thousand plus paying customers, who I predict will all become fans. Their new album and this tour should take 3 to the next level!

Then C&C took over, and it was obvious who the crowd came to see! The excitement level rose, the crowd got more dense, and the dancing got more intense. The band wound their way through a set of high quality hard rock and metal tunes, reminding me very much of bands I used to listen to in the 80’s – Kix, Ratt, Skid Row, even Savatage, Warrant, and Def Leppard. The audience loved it, but for me, as good as Coheed and Cambria were, 3 were the big winners for the night!

Friday, I rested, but Saturday, I was back at it, stopping by The Bearsville Theater to check out The Kane Brothers Blues Band, a group of very accomplished musicians who have just gotten back together after a 30 year hiatus, and lemme tell ya, they sound like they never left! Playing standard blues fare, The Kane Brothers convert it to a high intensity rock/blues hybrid that had everyone dancing. This is a great band! Drummer Jonathan Kane is one of the best around, driving the band at an incredible pace. Lead guitarist Josh Colow reeled off one rockin’ solo after the next, and lead singer and harp player, Anthony Kane competently led them through the set, warming up to his task as the night got later. This band is off the charts and highly recommended! Next time they come around, they’ll be the Pick of the Week, and for me personally, must see TV!

Leaving The Kane Brothers show, regrettably, after the first set, I raced over to BSP in Kingston, where Pitchfork Militia and The Five Points Band were holding court. Five Points rocked through their set of Adams Family rock n roll, and then the great Pitchfork Militia took the stage. Now, regular readers of this column know these guys are my favorite area band, and they did not disappoint tonight! Ripping through a set of prime PM cuts, they kept most of the audience on their feet with a smile on their faces. Peter Head is a vastly underrated guitarist, and their rhythm section is CRAZY! If you like rockin’, great songs, have a sense of humor, and like to dance, Pitchfork Militia is the band for you!

By the time you’re reading this, I’ll have already done my first segment on John Madeo’s Little Delaware Jamboree radio show on WIOX, 91.3 FM, and www.wioxradio.org, but I haven’t done it yet, so I can’t tell you how it went, but it’ll be better if you listen to it. John’s a great guy and this is gonna be a lot of fun, plus, he plays The Brooklyn Cowboys and has promised to end each show with a BC track! At the moment, the show is every other Monday at 8PM, but John has been asked to do it every week. My segment starts about 8:30. The next show is scheduled for October 1^st.

There’s a TON of live music this week, so I’d better get to it!

Wednesday, September 19 – The great LEON RUSSELL returns to The Bearsville Theater with THE CONNOR KENNEDY BAND opening, so get there early! Let’s hope Leon does some of his own music at this show. And the great J. GEILS BAND plays the newly reopened Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, the great BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN starts a 3 day run at MetLife, formerly Giants, Stadium, and the great OFFSPRING slide into Terminal 5 in Manhattan.
Thursday, September 20 – The fun continues with ALO at The Bearsville Theater, TEDESCHI TRUCKS at The Beacon Theater in Manhattan, and PATTERSON HOOD AND THE DOWNTOWN RUMBLERS (he of Drive By Truckers fame), at Club Helsinki in Hudson.
Friday, September 21 – TEDESCHI TRUCKS and SPRINGSTEEN continue their respective three day runs at the respective venues, over in New Jersey, KISS and MOTLEY CRUE will have The PNC Arena bouncing, and around Woodstock JIMMY VIVINO PRESENTS THE BAND SONGS at Levon Helm Studios, and BIG JOE FITZ will be raising money in a BENEFIT FOR THE ROSENDALE THEATER, a worthy cause for sure.
Saturday, September 22 – Put this day on your calendar, because there’s something for everyone! THE BOSS and TEDESCHI TRUCKS both finish their 3 day engagements, the COHEED AND CAMBRIA/ 3 tour comes to The Egg in Albany, JOE JACKSON is at Town Hall in Manhattan, THE ROSENDALE ZOMBIE FEST with PITCHFORK MILITIA and other bands at Willow Kiln Park should be fun, CONNOR KENNEDY BAND plays Unison in New Paltz, I think for the first time, great new band THE SHEEPDOGS are at The Brooklyn Bowl, Americana behind-the-scenes genius HUGH POOL rides into Hill Country Barbecue in Manhattan, and guitar virtuoso ERIC JOHNSON plays The Egg in Albany with a star powered rhythm section consisting of WILL LEE and ANTON FIG, both of late night TV fame. This is my Pick of the Week! Oh, and it’s not a misprint. There are two shows at The Egg tonight. (You did know they have two theaters there, right?)
Sunday, September 23 – Even on a Sunday there’s something great happening! Two amazing shows tonight, actually. The immortal LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY (no relation. LOL), who was one of the most important figures in the rise of Reggae music, producing most of the early Wailers records, as well as tracks for The Upsetters, Junior Murvin, The Heptones, Max Romeo, and many more, is at The Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn! Perry has GRAMMYs and was included in Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest artists of All Time”. In later years, he worked with The Beastie Boys and his recent live shows have been called “phenomenal” and “show no sign of his advanced age”. He’s 70! He has guests like Keith Richards, Moby, and George Clinton on his albums, so you never know who might show up.
It seems like Brooklyn is the place to be tonight, because at The Bell House, they’re having the star studded BROOKLYN BLUEGRASS BASH with some of the biggest names in Bluegrass! Chris Thile and Michael Daves, Tony Trischka, Andy Statman, and The Calamity Janes.
Monday, Septemeber 24 – Even on a Monday, we have two great shows! THE DIRT FARMER BAND, which is essentially The Levon Helm Band without the horns, is at The Iridium, and jazz greats CHICK COREA and GARY BURTON reunite for some shows at The Blue Note. Both shows in Manhattan.
Tuesday, September 25 – DAVID BYRNE of Talking Heads starts a two day run at The Beacon Theater in Manhattan, which obviously continues Wednesday.
Thursday, September 27 – The week closes out with DAVID GRAY at The Capitol Theatre.

Whew! I’m exhausted just writing about all the stuff going on this week. I hope I have some energy left to actually go to some of this stuff! Ah well, duty calls!

Have a great week!

Fred Perry is the owner of Reservoir Music Center on Route 28 in Kingston, and founding member of Alt-Country supergroup, The Brooklyn Cowboys, is from a 3rd generation musical family and lives in the Hudson Valley, where he does what he can to promote live music.