All Over Albany

Old Songs music classes

Looking for accordion lessons? Hammer dulcimer? Penny whistle? This is the place.

Here's something we thought looked kind of fun.

The people who host the Old Songs Music Festival and concerts series are about to begin another semester of music classes in old school instruments.

Old Songs is dedicated to preserving traditional folk music, and as part of their mission they'll teach you how to play it on everything from the accordion (yep, accordion lessons) and the penny whistle, to the ukulele and mountain dulcimer. A lot of the classes are open to beginners who may not even read music.

(there's more)

Mountain Jam 2012

The initial lineup for the annual Mountain Jam music festival at Hunter Mountain in the Catskills is out.

Among the top-billed acts this year: Steve Winwood, Gov't Mule, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Roots, Ben Folds Five.

This year's festival is May 31-June 3. Tickets start at $150 -- and presumably will get more expensive as they're sold (the next price levels are "TBD"), though there were deals last year.

Earlier on AOA: No Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA this year -- but there will be Wilco

Passion Pit at Northern Lights

Electrpop band Passion Pit is scheduled to play a show at Northern Lights April 23. Tickets go on sale this Friday -- they're $25.

You've heard Passion Pit even if you've never heard of Passion Pit. For example: "Little Secrets". They're filed in the same bin as MGMT. And for whatever reason, they seem to get remixed and mashed up a lot. (What? A Passion Pit/MGMT mashup? Now the electropop bands are feeding on each other! Madness! Someone turn off the lights at American Apparel!)

Earlier on AOA:
+ The Avett Brothers at the Palace
+ Ingrid Michaelson at The Egg
+ Bruce Springsteen playing the TU Center
+ Some shows that are coming up, winter 2012

photo: Justin Borucki

My Exit: Steven Zimring

It's Monday, which means WEXT is running another My Exit show -- where the listeners get to pick their own playlists.

This week, a high school senior takes you on an eclectic tour from Surf Rider, to Zeppelin, to The Grouch and Eligh...

(there's more)

The Avett Brothers at the Palace

Folk rock band The Avett Brothers are scheduled to play The Palace April 22. Tickets go on sale February 3. They are $38 and $43.

The band is reportedly almost finished with a new album, produced by Rick Rubin. You might have seen them play on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon recently. [Rolling Stone]

Also: Daughtry, the man and the band, are scheduled to play the Palace April 29.

Earlier on AOA: Some shows that are coming up, winter 2012

photo via The Avett Brothers Facebook

Ingrid Michaelson at The Egg

Singer/songwriter/glasses wearer Ingrid Michaelson will be playing a show at The Egg May 14 (it probably won't be chilly by then, so you won't need her sweater). Tickets go on sale this Friday (January 27) -- they're $25.

Michaelson's album Human Again is currently the #1 album on iTunes.

photo via Ingrid Michaelson's website

Molly McGrath: The Last Five Years

Molly Rose Marie McGrath -- a coloratura in cowboy boots.

She's a coloratura who owns six pairs of cowboy boots and prefers show tunes and country standards to arias.

There is nothing stereotypical about Molly Rose McGrath.

Born and raised the the Capital Region, her voice teachers pushed her toward opera and encouraged her to head for New York -- but she prefers to stay close to home.

She's been performing locally for years, most notably as Annie Oakley at Albany's Park Playhouse and Patsy Cline in Saratoga.

Now she's trying her hand at producing with a dark, funny little cult show called The Last Five Years.

(there's more)

Kevin Costner at Northern Lights.

Kevin Costner and Modern West

Here's another to add to the list of shows ahead of us. Kevin Costner is touring with his band Modern West and they're making a stop at Northern Lights. Tickets for the April 6 show go on sale Friday morning at 10. [via]

Also, this just in: Kevin Costner has a band.

photo via Northern Lights

Exit Dome 5 is this Saturday

Reminder: the annual WEXT benefit concert is this Saturday at the WEXT/WMHT studios (that is, the Exit Dome). As usual, there's a good local lineup slated:

• Sgt Dunbar & the Hobo Banned
• MaryLeigh & the Fauves
• The City Never Sleeps
• Mother Judge
• Rosary Beard
• M.R. Poulopoulos, playing between sets

The music starts at 7:30 pm. Two tickets are a $50 pledge to WEXT.

WEXT is our favorite local radio station (as you know). And this is a fun way to support Chris, Dave and the rest of the people there -- they actually care about local music. And they help make the Capital Region a more interesting place.

Bruce Springsteen playing the TU Center

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are scheduled to play the TU Center April 16.

Tickets go on sale this Saturday (January 28) at noon. They start at $41.

The show will be part of a tour through the US and Europe for his new album, Wrecking Ball, which is scheduled for a March release.

By the way: The Boss reportedly toured Skidmore on a college visit with his son last fall. [Skidmore Unofficial]

Earlier on AOA: Some shows that are coming up, winter 2012


photo via Bruce Springsteen Facebook

My Exit: Mark DiMartino

It's Monday, time for another My Exit on WEXT.

Here's a look at the set from this week's person.

(there's more)

No Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA this year -- but there will be Wilco

Wilco announced today that there won't be a Solid Sound Festival at MASS MoCA this summer. The annual music and art festival, which was first held in 2010, will return next year -- specifically June 21-23, 2013.

The band's manager told Nippertown today that they still love the idea of the festival, it's just that touring and promotion for its new album was going to keep them from organizing the festival this year.

But Wilco will be playing a benefit for MASS MoCA this summer. The date is TBD. The museum sent out an email to members today announcing they'll get first crack at the tickets when they go on sale. The museum says it's expecting tickets to "sell out almost immediately" for the "limited capacity" show.

photo: Flickr user Jeremy D. Goodwin

Some shows that are coming up, winter 2012

Sean Rowe's back -- and he's playing a show in February.

There are people who like to go to concerts. You may be one of these people.

There are also people who just like to know that there are concerts. You might be one of those people if you're not the other kind of person.

Either way, you will be interested to know that these concerts will be happening in the Capital Region. And during the next few months.

Here are those concerts...

(there's more)

Guster at The Egg

Update: The Egg says there's been a change. The Guster show is still scheduled for March 28th, but Jeff Garlin will not be appearing with them.

Boston Alt Rock band Guster is known, in part, for its quirkiness and sense of humor. They'll be pairing with Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Garlin for what's being billed as a rare acoustic concert on March 28th at The Egg. Wait, is this music or comedy? What would it sound like? Maybe something like this podcast series they teamed up for a while back.

Tickets for the show are $27.50. They go on sale on Friday at noon.

My Exit: Seth Casale

We were off Monday, so we missed the first My Exit profile of the new year, but you can catch the replay Sunday morning on WEXT.

Here's a look at from this week's eclectic set.

(there's more)

Interesting in 2011: Olivia Quillio

Singer/songwriter Olivia Quillio.

All this week we're highlighting some of the interesting people we've gotten to know over the past year.

This spring Olivia Quillio won the Garage to Glory competition at the College of Saint Rose. Since then her music, songwriting and unique style have gained her a lot of attention in the Capital Region.

The Shaker High grad tried SUNY Potsdam for a while, where she was inspired by some of her literature classes, but unmotivated and anxious.

So she left school in her sophomore year to do what she's been doing in one way or another for most of her life -- write songs. She's been writing, playing and recording ever since.

(there's more)

The City Never Sleeps

Here's something to listen to this morning: The City Never Sleeps playing a song called "Mistakes" live on WEXT recently.

TCNS is based in Albany. You can listen to more of their music on their Bandcamp page. And they have a Kickstarter project for a a tour vehicle -- it's almost funded (and almost at its deadline).

They'll be playing at the WEXT benefit concert January 28.

My Exit: Jackie Domin

It's Monday, time for another My Exit on WEXT.

Here's a look at the set from this week's person -- which includes Dylan, Flogging Molly, and Glee...

(there's more)

"Don't Steal Or Kill This Christmas"

Today is dreary. The embedded above might help. It's a song from Saratoga-based band Dryer. It's not your typical Christmas music. They have a Saratoga show coming up in February.

We posted this song last year, too. (Thanks to @WEXT for the reminder.)

Two years in a row -- that might make it a tradition.

What are your car radio preset stations?

Capitol to Capital asks via Twitter:

New (to us) car doesn't have satellite radio like the other. What should our presets be??

Or, to ask Cap2Cap's question a little differently: What are the preset stations on your car radio?

Please share!

photo: Flickr user nedrichards

My Exit: Stephen Lyons

It's Monday, time for another My Exit on WEXT.

Here's tonight's guest DJ, with a preview of his 518-heavy My Exit show.

(there's more)

Exit Dome 5

Our friends over at WEXT have released the lineup for their annual benefit concert at the "Exit Dome":

• Sgt Dunbar & the Hobo Banned
• MaryLeigh & the Fauves
• The City Never Sleeps
• Mother Judge
• Rosary Beard
• M.R. Poulopoulos, playing between sets

The show is January 28 at 7:30 pm at the WMHT/WEXT studios in North Greenbush. A $50 pledge to WEXT gets you two tickets.

WEXT is our favorite local radio station (obviously). Chris and Dave and the people over there actually care about the local music scene. And by supporting local musicians, they help make the Capital Region a more interesting place.

My Exit: Adam Carey

It's Monday, time for another My Exit. Here's tonight's guest DJ, who will be sharing his favorite music at 8 pm on WEXT...

(there's more)

Tickets for Brunswick x2

Drawing's closed! Winner's been emailed!

The new documentary Brunswick -- about a farmer, local politics, and the tension between farming and development in Rensselaer County -- will be screened for the first time at the Spectrum next Wednesday (December 7). It's already sold out.

This Sunday at 7 pm, Matthew Carefully will be performing the music he composed for the Brunswick soundtrack at Caffe Lena. We're guessing it will be a packed house.

You still can go to both the screening and the concert -- because we're giving away a pair of tickets to both of them. To enter the drawing, please answer this question in the comments:

If could grow anything, what would it be?

Of course, "anything" in this case could be fruits or vegetables. It could also be... well... anything. Creative answers encouraged.

We'll draw one winner at random. That person will get a pair of tickets for each event. And if you could attend both, that would be extra swell.

Here's a bit more about Brunswick, which is directed by Nate Simms. And here's more from Matthew about the soundtrack. Bonus: the Caffe Lena show's opener is Bailiwick.

Important: All comments must be submitted by 10:30 am on Thursday (December 1, 2011) to be entered in the drawing. You must answer the question to be part of the drawing. One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly -- seriously, if you win, we want to give you the tickets) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by noon on Thursday and must respond by 9 am Friday (December 2).

Dark Sky app funded, and other local Kickstarter projects

Dark Sky, the weather-just-ahead app from Troy-based web developers Jackadam (Jack Turner and Adam Grossman), reached its $35,000 goal on Kickstarter over the weekend. Its deadline was the end of this month -- and the project is still accepting funding through then.

Here are a few other local Kickstarter projects that caught our eye that are looking for funding -- or recently met their goal...

(there's more)