Neil Benjamin Jr. 60 posts 0 comments

The Swyer Theater at The Egg Center for the Performing Arts is a quaint and ideal setting for laid back musical performances. When The Bad Plus, a three-piece jazz band originally from Minneapolis but now out of New York City, visited the…

On February 4 at the Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Albany, two area bands brought the popular venue to its knees with twists, turns, jams and family. Opening for Formula 5 was Ampevene, which brought a progressive feel to open the show. Led by…

When Formula 5 set its sights on 2016, the band was about to head out on its first full tour, had a brand new keyboardist at the helm and was planning a trek into the studio. With all of that in the rear view, the road tested band from…

On October 22, the musical jam spirit in New York will be at its height when the sold-out Brooklyn Comes Alive festival comes to three venues in the heart of Williamsburg. This one-day event features a veritable who's who spanning the jam…

I remember it vividly: On a long bus ride for an elementary school field trip, one of my oldest friends handed me a cassette that would be the very first turning point on the musical journey that my life has become. The year was 1993, and…

Ever think Phish would start off a studio album with a sort of Brit-pop-punk sounding song? Me either, but that's exactly what the band did by kicking off Big Boat with the Jon Fishman song "Friends," which is the perfect lead-in to an…

Reed Mathis has a lengthy resume as a bassist in the jam scene as a member of Tea Leaf Green, a touring member of Billy & the Kids and longtime part of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. Seems like he doesn't take a break in his schedule.…

Poor souls centered in the selfish earth How could silence for what suffers worth Old worms shall never reach these excesses Define terms to lease you to another friend. -- "The Haunt" On September 11, 2001, the world changed forever. That…

For any festival to survive – let alone thrive – for 10 years is an impressive feat. Bonnaroo and Coachella are two names that immediately pop into mind, but now it's time to add Backwoods Pondfest to that list. This past weekend at Twin…

They high-stepped into the Saranac Brewery and bid us all a fond goodnight, but in the middle, Dark Star Orchestra took the near capacity crowd on a mind bending, psychedelic journey through the middle 1970s. One of the most fun aspects of…