RECAP: LaMP / The E-Block @ Putnam Place, 5/8/2025

A Soul-Melting, Nerd-Dream, Face-Blasting Night of Pure Magic

Words and Photography by Penny Piper.

Team! Let me tell you about the LaMP show at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs on May 8th, 2025—this night was straight-up next level. One of those shows that leaves you buzzing for days. I’m still trying to process what even happened.

LaMP. Photo by Penny Piper

LaMP is Scott Metzger on guitar, Russ Lawton on drums, and Ray Paczkowski on keys—three absolute monsters of musicianship. Metzger? Dude’s not just a guitar player. He is the guitar. His tone, feel, and phrasing are otherworldly. Like he’s channeling something bigger than all of us. You might know him from Joe Russo’s Almost Dead or WOLF!, and he’s played with heavy hitters like Phil Lesh, John Scofield, and Nels Cline. But with LaMP, he gets raw. It’s soul-level playing.

And Russ and Ray? Legends, my friends. These guys were there from the beginning of the Trey Anastasio Band, and I’ve been going to TAB shows since 1999. That’s when they introduced “Sand” and “First Tube”—two songs that hit me hard back then and will forever be my “favorite song” answers. I got to talk to Russ before the show about those tunes, and he told me he, Trey, and Tony Markellis (RIP) wrote them early on. Hearing that straight from him was one of the coolest moments of my life.

And yep—I brought my “Burlap Sack and Pumps” poster from the 2001 Jones Beach show (yes, I’m that nerd) and had Russ and Ray sign it, 24 years later. Full circle moment. Nerd joy achieved.

Now let me tell you—LaMP destroyed Putnam Place. Like full-on scorched earth. Ray was up there using his whole body to play. Watching him do his thing is like the musical version of ASMR—so satisfying. And Russ? Man was playing like he was still 18, flying around the kit but still so precise. He even stopped mid-show to turn down his snare (pro move), and then hit us with a flurry of rhythm that felt like a tornado-cyclone-tsunami combo. It was insane. The way they communicate without words? Just eye contact, feel, instinct. That kind of musical telepathy is rare. You could feel it in the room.

Luke Pascarella of the E-Block. Photo by Penny Piper

Before LaMP, the E-Block kicked things off—and holy hell, this band is unreal. They’ve become my favorite new group, hands down. You’ve got Luke Pascarella on guitar and vocals, Daniel Folds on bass, Devin Tetlak on keys, and Aaron Shields on drums. Every one of them is top-tier. Their songwriting and delivery are on point.

When I first heard tracks like “Stars” and “Number One,” I couldn’t stop playing them. Then they dropped “Sleepwalking” back in January, and I loved it so much I wrote a whole press release about it. And now their newest track, “Pocket”? They played it live and yup—instantly obsessed. So good. They’re up there having a blast, too. Dan had this huge, contagious smile the whole set. And Luke hit us with a lyric that had the entire crowd reacting—“If you’re worried I’m not home alone, it’s not your business, ugh ‘cause I got bitches”—and the place went WHOOOOAAA. Iconic moment.

Big love to Hartstone Productions and Putnam Place (aka the Den for the back-in-the-day-ones) for continuing to give us these soul-reviving, heart-pumping nights. This was one for the books!

LaMP

The E-Block