The Best of UpstateLIVE 2012

Looking back on 2012, UpstateLIVE has grown exponentially, expanding our staff across New YorkState, including a partnership with the Bandier Program at SyracuseUniversity, and in the process we have covered some amazing shows. The writing and photography staff at UpstateLIVE saw a combined 250+ shows, as well as a couple dozen festivals around the country, and even a festival in Indonesia. This list represents our take on the Best of Live Music in 2012 spanning the country through our musical travels and all across Upstate New York. With categories of Best Show, Best Upstate Show, Best Festival, Best Upstate Festival, Best Album and Best Upstate Album, you’ll find a wide-range of musical interests and tastes, as well as some familiar names for Upstate New Yorkers.

In a nutshell – Phish at SPAC looks to be the Best Upstate Show(s) while Catskill Chill and moe.down got the most love for Best Upstate Festival. Three bands – Jimkata, Timbre Coup and Eastbound Jesus were tops in voting for Best Upstate Album of the Year. Read on to see what else made the list from our writers, photographers and staff…

Herby One – Publisher, Baldwinsville, NY

Best Show: Phish at StarLake, Burgettstown, PA, June 23^rd

Best Upstate Show: MaxCreek, WaterStreetMusic Hall, Rochester, February 4^th

Best Festival: Maine Lobster Festival

Best Upstate Festival: Grassroots Festival, Trumansburg, NY, July 19^th-22^nd

Best Album: Cabinet – Eleven

Best Upstate Album: Big Leg Emma – Revival

photo by Andy Hill

Pete Mason – Online Editor/Lead Writer, Albany, NY

Best Show: Phish at SPAC, July 8^th

Best Upstate Show: John Prine and Lucinda Williams, Palace Theater, Albany, NY, August 17^th

Best Festival: Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival, November 8^th-11^th

Best Upstate Festival: Backwoods Pondfest, Peru, NY, August 17^th-18^th

Best Album: Strangefolk: Live at the Capitol Theater

Best Upstate Album:  tie: Jimkata – Die Digital // Soul Risin – Rise and Fall

photo by Matthew Balch

Sue Rice – Staff Writer, Albany, NY 

Best Show: Trey Anastasio Band, House of Blues, Boston, MA, October 27^th

Best Upstate Show: The Punch Brothers at The Egg, September 30th

Best Festival: Catskill Chill, Camp Minglewood, Hancock, NY, September 7^th-9^th

Best Upstate Festival: Catskill Chill Catskill Chill, Camp Minglewood, Hancock, NY, September 7^th-9^th

Best Album: Mumford & Sons Babel

Best Upstate Album: Eastbound Jesus – Holy Smokes

photo by Nicholas Fitanides

Melissa Walker, Staff Writer, Marketing/Publicity Utica, NY

Best Show: NY Banjo Summit, State Theater, Ithaca, NY, November 2nd

Best Upstate Show: tie – Moho Collective at the Utica Greens Festival, September 15th // Rawson at the KirklandArtsCenter. November 4th

Best Festival: Utica Music and Arts Festival, September 13^th-15^th

Best Upstate Festival: Fiddler’s Picnic, June 8^th-10^th, Marion, NY

Best Album: tie – Thunder Body’s Radioactive // Digital Mosaic Foundation, Do Right

Best Upstate Album: The Rusty Doves –Live–

photo by Sara Tiberio

Jenni Rose Wilson, Contributing Writer, Albany, NY

Best Show: STS9, Best Buy Theatre, NYC, November 10^th

Best Upstate Show: Keller Williams, Upstate Concert Hall, September 21^st

Best Festival: Catskill Chill, Camp Minglewood, Hancock, NY, September 7^th-9^th

Best Upstate Festival: Catskill Chill, Camp Minglewood, Hancock, NY, September 7^th-9^th

Best Album: Medeski Martin and Wood- Free Magic

Best Upstate Album: Timbre Coup- Knuckles and Valleys

photo by Andy Hill

Lindsay Jones, Contributing Writer, Utica, NY

Best Show you attended – Phish Dicks 9/1/12

Best Upstate Show: tie – Jimkata & Floodwood at Saranac Thursdays, Utica, NY, August 9^th // Lucid at Duo, Saratoga, NY, July 7^th

Best Festival: moe.down XIII, Turin, NY, August 10^th-12^th

Best Upstate Festival: moe.down XIII, Turin, NY, August 10^th-12^th

Best Album: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – The Lion, The Beast & the Beat

Best Upstate Album: The Felice Brothers – God Bless you Amigo

photo by Sara Tiberio

Lori Ann Christina – Contributing Writer, Clifton Park, NY

Best Show: Bob Weir Solo Acoustic, Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, MA, April 29^th

Best Upstate Show: tie – Jackie Greene, Club Helsinki, HudsonNY, October 27^th // Warren Haynes, The Egg, Albany, NY, October 13th

Best Album: Chris Robinson Brotherhood The Magic Door

Best Upstate Album: The Nellies – The Nellies

photo by Tom Sinkora

Chris McMullen, Contributing Writer, Oneonta, NY

Best Show: tie – Phish at DCU, Worcester, MA, June 8^th // STS9 at Fox Theater, Oakland, CA, April 21st

Best Upstate Show: Ott & The All Seeing I. The Westcott Theater; Syracuse, NY October 7th

Best Festival: Electric Forest; Rothbury, MI, June 28^th-July 1^st

Best Upstate Festival: Catskill Chill, CampMinglewood, Hancock, NY, September 7^th-9^th (Honorable mentions to Harvest Fest & Psybient Soire)

Best Album: tie – Doomtree – No Kings // Caravan Palace – Panic

Best Upstate Album: Jimkata – Die Digital

photo by OTT

Quinn Donnell, Contributing Writer from Bandier Program at Syracuse University

Best Show: Vampire Weekend at Pitchfork Music Festival Chicago, July 15^th

Best Upstate Show: Dum Dum Girls at Schine Underground, Syracuse University, October 11^th

Best Festival: Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, July 13^th-15^th

Best Album: Michael Kiwanuka—Home Again

Best Upstate Album: Dumb Talk—Dumb Talk

photo by Quinn Donnell

Lauren Lagowski, Contributing Writer, Buffalo, NY

Best Show: Radiohead, Blossom Music Center Cuyahoga Falls, OH, June 6^th

Best Upstate Show: The Wood Brothers, The Tralf Buffalo, NY, June 24^th

Best Festival: Purple Pig Music Festival, Naples, NY, September 28-30

Best Upstate Festival: Purple Pig Music Festival, Naples, NY, September 28-30

Best Album: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Here

Best Upstate Album: Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad – Country

Tabitha Clancy, Staff Writer, Schenectady, NY

Best Show: Railroad Earth with Cornmeal, Best Buy Theater, NYC, February 25^th

Best Upstate Show: Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble with Mumford and Sons, The Barn, Woodstock, NY, March 10^th

Best Festival: Hangtown Halloween Ball, Placerville, CA Octobver 26^th-28^th

Best Upstate Festival: The Mighty HighMountain Fest, Tuxedo, NY May 18^th-20^th

Best Album: Mumford and Sons – Babel

Best Upstate Album: Eastbound Jesus – Holy Smokes

photo by EastBound Jesus

Mary Morgan Craig, Contributing Writer from the Bandier Program at Syracuse University

Best Show: Regina Spektor, Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA, March 10^th

Best Upstate Show: Gramatik, Westcott Theater, Syracuse NY, October 13^th

Best Festival: Identity Festival, Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA, July 26^th

Best Album: Frank Ocean – Channel Orange

Best Upstate Album: (Lake Placid native) Lana Del Rey – Born to Die

photo via Lana Del Rey

Greg Jackson, Senior Writer, Syracuse, NY

Best Upstate Festival: Fox Fest, Syracuse, NY, August 5^th-6^th

Best Upstate Album: Mark Doyle and The Maniacs – Pushin’

Photo by Juan Junco

Lenny Stubbe, Contributing Writer and Resident Taper, Buffalo, NY

Best Show: Phish at StarLake, Burgettstown, PA, June 23^rd

Best Upstate Show: Phish at SPAC, July 8^th

Best Album: Mickey Hart Band: Mysterium Tremendum

Best Upstate Album: moe. – Whatever Happened to the LaLa’s

photo by Andy Hill

Gauraa Shekhar, Contributing Writer from the Bandier Program at Syracuse University

Best Show: Local Natives, Bowery Ballroom, Brooklyn, NY, October 18th

Best Upstate Show: Fiona Apple, State Theater, Ithaca, NY, June 19th

Best Festival: Java Rockin’land – July 6^th-8^th, Jakarta, Indonesia

Best Album: Fiona Apple’s The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

Best Upstate Album: The Vanderbuilts – Miguel’s Orchard

Johnny Goff, Contributing Writer, Ithaca, NY

Best Show: Phish at Dicks, Denver, Colorado, September 1^st

Best Upstate Show: Phish at SPAC, July 7th

Best Festival: Grey Fox BlueGrass Festival, Oak Hill, NY, July 19^th-22^nd

Best Upstate Festival: Grassroots Festival, Trumansburg, NY, July 19^th-22^nd

Best Album: David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant

Best Upstate Album: Jimkata – Die Digital

photo by Sara Tiberio

Avery Galek, Contributing Writer, Oswego, NY

Best Show: The final Oak & Bone show, Badlands, Syracuse, June 9th

Best Upstate Show: Converge and Torche at Waterstreet Music Hall, Rochester, October 13^th

Best Festival: Seneca Waves Music and Arts Festival, August 11th

Best Upstate Festival: Sterling Stage Folk Fest, May 24^th-27^th

Best Album: The Melvins – Freak Puke

Best Upstate Album: Black Throat Wind – Between White Worlds

via SSG Music

Tim O’Shea, Contributing Writer, Morris Plains, NJ

Best Show: Phish at StarLake, Burgettstown, PA, June 23^rd

Best Upstate Show: Phish at SPAC, July 8^th

Best Festival: Gathering of the Vibes, Seaside, CT, July 19th-22nd

Best Upstate Festival: moe.down XIII, Turin, NY, August 10th-12th

Best Album: Ben Folds Five – The Sound of the Life of the Mind

Best Upstate Album: Timbre Coup – Knuckles and Valleys

photo by Andy Hill

Sara Tiberio, Staff Photographer and Contributing Writer, Rochester, NY

Best Show: Bon Iver at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY, September 17th

Best Upstate Show: Rubblebucket at BoulderFest in Rochester, NY, July 21st

Best Upstate Festival: Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, June 22^nd-30th

Best Album: Animal Collective Centipede Hz

Best Upstate Album: tie – ThunderBody RadioActive // Mosaic Foundation Do Right

photo by Sara Tiberio

Jim Gilbert, Staff Photographer, Clifton Park, NY 

Best Show: Lamb of God/Hatebreed, Glens Falls Civic Center, November 15th

Best Upstate Show: The Viking, Upstate Concert Hall, January 7th

Best Festival: Q-Ruption at SPAC, September 1st

Best Upstate Festival: Q-Ruption at SPAC, September 1st

Best Album: Shadows Fall, Fire From the Sky

Best Upstate Album: Timbre Coup, Knuckles and Valleys

photo by Andy Hill

Chris DeCotis, Staff Photographer and Contributing Writer, Lansingburgh, NY

Best Show: Phish, Bader Field, Atlantic City, NJ, June 16th

Best Upstate Show: Excision at Upstate Concert Hall, March 26th

Best Album: Radio Music Society by Esperanza Spalding

Best Upstate Album: Rawtopsy by Animal Cracker

photo by Pete Mason

Amy Fischer, Contributing Writer and Street Teamer Extraordinaire, Albany, NY

Best Show: Phish at SPAC, July 6th

Best Upstate Show: Medeski Martin and Wood, MassryCenter at Saint Rose, October 1^st

Best Festival: Catskill Chill, CampMinglewood, Hancock, NY, September 7^th-9^th

Best Upstate Festival: Bellstock, Catskills, July 13^th-15^th

Best Album: Trey Anastasio Traveler

Best Upstate Album: Timbre Coup Knuckles and Valleys

photo by Chris De Cotis

Neil Benjamin, Jr., Contributing Writer, Syracuse, NY

Best Show: Phil Lesh and Friends at Levon Helm’s Barn, Woodstock, NY, June 17th

Best Upstate Show: Primus at the Landmark Theater, Syracuse, NY, May 20th

Best Festival: moe.down XIII, Turin, NY, August 10th-12th

Best Upstate Festival: Backwoods Pondfest, Peru, NY, August 17th-18th

Best Album: Rubblebucket Oversaturated EP

Kimberly Zesky, Contributing Writer, Saranac Lake, NY

Best Show: Beats Antique, Higher Ground, Burlington, VT, September 23rd

Best Upstate Show: Rubblebucket, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY, April

Best Festival: Wakarusa, Mulberry Mountain, Ozark, Arkansas, May 31st-June 3rd

Best Upstate Festival: Grassroots Festival, Trumansburg, NY, July 20th-22nd

Best Album: Mumford And Sons Babel

Best Upstate Album: Jimkata Die Digital

Victor Wooten and Jimmy Herring, Buffalo State College Performing Arts Center, November 17th

Review and Photos by Lewis J. Tezak, Jr.

A full two decades after they toured the Southeast on the first H.O.R.D.E. tour in 1992, Victor Wooten and Jimmy Herring came together to tour the Northeast with over three hours of live music. This concert was one of the most anticipated and electrifying musical experiences of 2012. This double bill featured the world’s most amazing electric bassist, the versatile Victor Wooten and his band.  Wooten, a five-time Grammy winner, hit the worldwide scene in 1990 as a founding member of the super-group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.  Continuing to blaze a musical trail with the band, Victor has also become widely known for his own Grammy nominated solo recordings and tours. As a bonus, Jimmy Herring, the lead guitarist for Widespread Panic, Aquarium Rescue Unit and Jazz Is Dead, lead his own group this night in Buffalo.

As expected it was an explosive evening of jamming rock and soul with plenty of instrumental fireworks. Jimmy Herring opened the evening in support of his new album Subject to Change Without Notice which was released in August of this year. Herring came ready to play and assembled a band that made their presence known from the start. The members comprised of Neal Fountain on bass, Jeff Sipe playing drums and rounding out the sound on keyboards Matt Slocum. Herring effortlessly played the guitar and with a flawless style, he took the instrument and made it sing. The band’s amazing sound continued to fuel Herring’s playing which only electrified the crowd more. Throughout their 13 song set, the band continued to lift the audience up and take them to another level. Overall, Jimmy Herring and his band delivered a total of just over 90 minutes of music pleasure.

Victor Wooten brought in a cast of talented musicians to a delighted crowd in support of his two latest releases Words & Tones and Sword & Stone. The audience was captivated by Wooten and his band, hanging on to each note played. They were sitting in complete amazement as to what they were seeing and listening too. It is not conceivable that a band would take the stage without a guitarist but Wooten and his band pulled it off fabulously. Without the guitar being the main focal point, Wooten arranged and integrated four basses into a unique sound.  Essentially, the basses were blending together but yet were individualistic in their sound themselves. He further enhances the sound by adding two percussionists and diversifies the sound of the drums, allowing the basses to work within the beat and incorporates an incredible singer with great range. Victor and his band did not disappoint the audience whatsoever, playing for almost two hours.  He graciously thanked the audience for attending the performance and proceeded to bring Jimmy Herring and the rest of his band on stage for his encore, leading the crowd to erupt into enormous applause, cheers and whistles could be he throughout the auditorium.  A roadie was sent to the bus to retrieve the guitar and promptly returned with it to the stage. Wooten lead this cast of musicians into the final song , “I Shall Miss Your Smiling Face”.  The crowd cheering and whistling couldn’t get enough and began to move towards the edge of the stage in approval.  When the final note ended, the crowd, all on their feet roared immensely showing their appreciation for the musicians and the incredible night of music.

Jimmy Herring Band Setlist

Matt’s Funk, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Aberdeen, Duke and Cookie, Miss Poopie, Emerald Garden*, Rainbow, 10 Heads Up, A Day In The Life, Bilgewater Blues, Within You Without You

* with Steve Bailey on Bass

Victor Wooten Band Setlist

A Woman’s Strength, Brooklyn, Tell Me Something Good, Brooklyn, My Life, The House That Jack Built, One More Chance, The House That Jack Built, Steve Bailey Bass Solo > Imagine This > Let’s Hear it For The Boy, Overjoyed, Victor Solo, Heaven

Encore: I Shall Miss Your Smiling Face*

* with Jimmy Herring on guitar, Neal Fountain on bass, Jeff Sipe on drums, Matt Slocum on keys

Download a recording of this show by Seth Nochajski

Jimmy Herring and Victor Wooten close out Tour at The Egg, November 18th

Wrapping up an incredible tour featuring masters of guitar, bass and talent from Berklee College of Music, Jimmy Herring and Victor Wooten brought their respective bands to The Egg for a fantastic final show. Herring’s band featured a four-piece lineup that focused on jazz and blues channeled through Herring’s guitar-work, while Wooten’s band was an ensemble of four bassists and two drummers, giving a new twist to the night’s musical selections.

Fountain, Slocum, Herring and Sipe

Herring, the lead guitarist for Widespread Panic and formerly of Aquarium Rescue Unit, Frogwings, Jazz is Dead and Project Z, took his position at stage right in his usual Captain Morgan ‘one foot forward, leg slightly bent’ stance. Bandmates Jeff Sipe (drums), Matt Slocum (keys) and Neal Fountain (bass) were incredibly tight sounding after this 12-show tour. Slocum’s keys added pizzazz to each song, while Herring gave a clinic on the interweaving of jazz and blues through his Stratocaster. Highlights of the instrumental set included “Rainbow”, covers of The Beatles “A Day in the Life” and “Within You Without You” and a phenomenal and scortching version of Led Zeppelin’s “Since I’ve Been Loving You” with Derico Watson and J.D. Blair on drums – three drummers for one incredible song. The 80 minute set kept the audience on their toes, with the direction of the music constantly changing. Herring’s new album Subject to Change without Notice is now out, check it out and experience his incredible guitar skills.

Setlist: Matts Funk, Gospel 6/8, Duke and Cookie*, Ballad^, Rainbow, Miss Poopie, Since I’ve Been Loving You**, Heads Up, A Day in the Life, Bilgewater Blues, Within You Without You

* with Victor Wooten on bass // ^ with Steve Bailey on bass // ** with Derico Watson and J.D. Blair on drums

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With a thundering bass intro, Victor Wooten and his seven-piece band arrived on stage. Taking out a bow and sitting down with a small upright bass, the show began with “A.W.S.” as the crowd gazed upon the lineup – four, count em FOUR bassists in ONE band, plus two drummers and the angelic voice of Krystal Peterson on vocals. “Brooklyn”, played for the makers of Wooten’s bass had a brief segue into “Tell me Something Good” inside before moving back into “Brooklyn”. Derico Watson blew it up on drums as “My Life” ended, featuring Wooten on vocals. “The House that Jack Built”, an Aretha Franklin rarity was dedicated to Jack at the soundboard and featured Matt Slocum on keys, continuing the collaboration between the two bands.

photo by Sara Joy Tiberio

Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” brought out with Jeff Sipe on drums and Neal Fountain on baritone guitar for a rousing rendition, with Wooten introducing the band, notably hyping up (Professor) Steve Bailey of Berklee College who plays a six-string fretless bass, leaving even the masterful Wooten in awe. More Steview followed with “Overjoyed” before the band left the stage, leaving Victor on the stage solo for a few minutes of bass noodling before bringing out Jimmy Herring for a duet of pure improvisation, capped off by a play on “Amazing Grace”. The two bands combined forces for the encore, bringing out all 11 musicians and two crew members to sing “I Shall Miss Your Smiling Face”, with a brief “Billie Jean” vocal jam from J.D. Blair in between, giving a wonderful ode to the audience and The Egg on their final night of the tour. With two masters of their craft and instrument, this was one for the ages.

photo by Sara Joy Tiberio

Setlist: A.W.S., Brooklyn, My Life, The House that Jack Built*, Superstition^, Overjoyed, Victor and Jimmy Improv duet

Encore: I Shall Miss Your Smiling Face**

* with Matt Slocum on keys // ^ with Jeff Sipe on drums and Neal Fountain on baritone guitar // ** with all members of both bands on stage

Download the show from the night before in Buffalo via etree

Watch a playlist of two songs from Jimmy Herring Band and three from Victor Wooten Band, including the huge encore.