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An Ocean of Ska and Funk – Fishbone at Empire Underground

Dean Giagni
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An Ocean of Ska and Funk – Fishbone at Empire Underground

By Dean Giagni.

On April 22, Empire Underground in Albany was stuffed to the gills for Fishbone’s 40th Anniversary celebration of the release of “In Your Face.” Lead antagonist Angelo Moore (vocals, sax, and theremin), the big man Chris Moore (keyboards, trombone), and Tracey “Spacey” Singleton (guitar) haven’t dropped a note in 40 years, and I dare say are tighter and more energetic now than ever with the addition of JS Williams of P-Funk on trumpet and keys. James Jones of Blu Eye Extinction on bass and Hassan Hurd on drums added the heavy, snappy, funk rhythm backdrop to all the expressionist antics of the Fishbone frontmen.

Opening with “Post Cold War Politics”, Angelo Moore immediately climbed the great wall of plywood that separates the band from the audience at Empire Underground and used it as his second stage all night. Stalking back and forth, engaging the fans, dancing and reaching out, he and JS Wiliams were close enough to hear their raw singing and howling going into the mic over their own amplification. Chris Moore fulfilled his role as the charming jester, moving his body, storytelling to the audience even as his hands remained glued to his keyboard, and Tracy Singleton took to the great wall front and center for a blistering guitar solo on “A Movement in the Light,” ending with peaked fingers, a humble bow, and whispered “thank you” to the crowd.

Crowd surfing broke out, and a great time was had by all.

Photos by Dean Giagni.

Read an interview with Angelo Moore of Fishbone here …

Run Rabbit Run @ Lark Hall, 4/17/2026

Timothy Reidy
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Run Rabbit Run @ Lark Hall, 4/17/2026

Pink Floyd tribute act, Run Rabbit Run, played Lark Hall by the dark side of the moon.

Photography by Timothy Reidy.

More from Lark Hall here …

 

Week Sixteen: Jesse Sample’s Freak of the Week “High Speed Rail”

Staff
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Week Sixteen: Jesse Sample’s Freak of the Week “High Speed Rail”

Jesse Sample’s Freak of the Week airs every WEDNESDAY at 6pm EASTERN only on RadioRadioX.com

This is Jesse Sample. In this life, we afford ourselves superpowers. If you look at a human life, any human life, in any given moment, you can start to see the outlines of a lifetime of choices, internal conversations, heartbreaks, redemptions, whatever…essentially a whole universe ran through some abstract version of a thing we call consciousness. If you open your eyes, all your eyes, you can see a rough summation of a life. This person, or being, has chosen paths on a great journey and, at any moment in time, we can look at them and try our best, to take in a small part of an epic story.

We’ve chosen a path. The universe gave us things, let’s call it a hand of cards, and we’ve played that hand, never fully knowing the rules of the game. We’ve found pockets or little stops along the way where we created safety, we felt empowered, or we found love. I think of a guy like Andre Agassi. This guy dominated an era of a sport. I’m not saying anything controversial in this, but what’s more fascinating than his excellence at tennis is the ingredient list for a recipe like that. What kind of life made that an outcome. What feelings went through his stomach at any mundane moment when he was 14 and perhaps waiting for school bus. You can plug your favorite genius into this question, and it doesn’t really matter the context of what they were great at. Their inner world made this the outcome we know.

For this week, I allowed myself to do what comes natural to me. I didn’t try and capture it with my camera. I didn’t try and expand my poetic prowess within the confines of an Italian sonnet. I didn’t try to vocally produce a foreign melody that was challenging for me. I love those things, and they expand my world, but this week I gave myself permission to be natural. I stacked guitar tracks and made a small fire in quiet chill of my heroes’ shadows and stared into the flames and went to another world. I can transport myself to another place. That’s what I’m good at.

It’s not just our heroes that possess this rare ability. It’s you and me, too. We spend our lives trying to find the purest version of it. I think it’s one of the greatest gifts we get in this life. It can be tennis, chess, or giving your friends unsolicited advice in a funny way that brings joy to everyone. You find that thing, whatever it is, and you allow yourself to express with abandon. You do what comes naturally and you fucking rock until there’s nothing left.

Thanks to all of you tuned into RadioRadioX. This is the Freak of the Week, “High Speed Rail.”

(PS I just think about what it would be like if Tom Waits tried to sing like Michael Jackson. Yes it would be funny and Tom could do something interesting because that’s what he does. My Michael Jackson built a world out of “Chimones” and “Hee Hee’s” He felt these things and eventually so would we. Our unique story is what makes us high level if we choose to allow ourselves to have it.

Stella Rose @ The Eleven, 4/17/2026

Timothy Reidy
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Stella Rose @ The Eleven, 4/17/2026

Stella Rose brought the music of the Dead and the Jerry Garcia Band to The Eleven last Friday.

Photography by Timothy Reidy.

More from The Eleven here …

 

Whassup in the 518? – Weekend Shows

Staff
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Whassup in the 518? – Weekend Shows

Whassup in the 518?

Friday, April 24th

The Ultimate Tribute to the Bee Gees, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, 7:30pm

The ULTIMATE tribute to the BEE GEES featuring One Night Only is coming to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on April 24th!
Relive all of the Bee Gees’ greatest hits including: Staying Alive, Night Fever, How Deep Is Your Love, You Should Be Dancing, More Than a Woman, Emotion, Massachusetts, Grease, To Love Somebody, Jive Talking and more!

The Egg Presents: Club d’Elf ft. John Medeski, The Egg, Albany, 8pm

Club d’Elf Loon & Thrush Album Release ft. John Medeski

What begins as a groove in Club d’Elf’s world often becomes a doorway into someplace older, stranger and unshackled by time.The band has spent twenty seven years helping audiences lose track of time with its shape-shifting fusion of Moroccan trance, dub, electronica, jazz and improvised funk. Built around bassist and composer Mike Rivard, each performance features a rotating cast drawn from Boston, New York and beyond, creating a constantly shifting ecosystem where trance forms the central core of the band’s aesthetic. Under longtime member and Casablanca native Brahim Fribgane, the group absorbed Moroccan trance music deeply into its DNA. Fribgane passed away in early 2024, but his spirit remains embedded in the band’s sound, especially through Rivard’s commanding sintir work, learned under the guidance of Fribgane and Gnawa masters Hassan Hakmoun and Mahmoud Guinia.

UAlbany Student Association presents Parkfest featuring Ice Spice, The Palace Theater, Albany, 8pm

UAlbany Student Association presents Parkfest featuring Ice Spice

The UAlbany Student Association’s Parkfest featuring Ice Spice has been relocated from the MVP Arena to the Palace Theatre in Downtown Albany. All original ticket buyers from the MVP Arena performance will be issued new tickets for the Palace Theatre. Efforts have been made to ensure that ticketholders receive a comparable seat to what was originally purchased. However, please note that due to differing layouts and capacities, some seating locations may be adjusted. If you are unable to locate your new digital tickets in your Ticketmaster account, or have any questions, please call the Palace Theatre Box Office at 518-465-4663

 

RELOCATED: UA Student Association Parkfest, MVP Arena, Albany, 8pm

The UAlbany Student Association’s Parkfest featuring Ice Spice has been relocated from the MVP Arena to the Palace Theatre in Downtown Albany.

All original ticket buyers from the MVP Arena performance will be issued new tickets for the Palace Theatre. Efforts have been made to ensure that ticketholders receive a comparable seat to what was originally purchased. However, please note that due to differing layouts and capacities, some seating locations may be adjusted.

If you are unable to locate your new digital tickets in your Ticketmaster account, or have any questions, please call the Palace Theatre Box Office at 518-465-4663 or visit their website.

Classics & Hymns Spring 2026 Tour, Universal Presentation Hall, Saratoga, 7pm

Dynasty Productions presents The Collingsworth Family’s Classics & Hymns Spring 2026 Tour

Excitement, spiritual anointing, family emphasis, and musical excellence are what you can expect to find when you step across the threshold of the auditorium for an Evening of Family Worship and Praise with The Collingsworth Family.

Sir Chloe, Empire Live, Albany, 8pm

The Bear Bones Project, Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, 8pm-11pm

Gypsy Jam, blend of R & B, Jazz, and traditional multi-dimensional collaboration will take you on a heartfelt musical journey.

Happy Hour with The Eastern Highs at Lark Hall, Albany, 6pm-8pm

Join us in welcoming back The Eastern Highs to The Eleven on Friday. April 24th. 6pm/FREE

Like New York’s Adirondack High Peak mountains, which serve as the band’s inspiration, The Eastern Highs transcendent sound is deeply rooted while also ascending towards the sky and beyond. The Troy, NY based band produces a captivating soundscape, which deftly combines classic and modern sounds that owe as much to the roots/Americana flavor of The Band and Wilco as it does the intrepid reach of some of rock’s leading sonic explorers such as Pink Floyd and Radiohead. Together with focused songwriting; it concocts a musical vision quest that is uniquely The Eastern Highs.

Grateful Dub: A Reggae-Infused Tribute to the Grateful Dead w/ Roots of Creation, Putnam Place, Saratoga, 8:30pm-11:30pm

Roots of Creation has taken on a unique new project: Grateful Dub: a Reggae-infused tribute to the Jerry Garcia & The Grateful Dead. Combining their longtime love for Reggae-Dub style music and the Grateful Dead, RoC reworked some of the world’s favorite Dead tunes into a new studio album.

Alice Howe & Freebo, Caffe Lena, Satratoga, 8pm-10pm

American Roots Blues Folk Singer Songwriter

Alice Howe’s voice is a rare gift—clear, soulful, and immediately arresting. There’s a timeless quality to her singing that calls back to the golden era of folk and Americana, while feeling fully alive in the present. Her music captures roots music at its best: honest, emotionally rich, and deeply human.

Alice recorded her most recent studio album, Circumstance, at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, stepping onto sacred musical ground shaped by generations of iconic artists. Surrounded by that history, she dug deeper—and delivered a powerful record blending southern rock, folk, blues, and classic soul, all anchored by the sheer beauty and emotional clarity of her voice. Her songwriting is introspective and fearless, reflecting on love, loss, resilience, and self-discovery with warmth and grace.

Date Friday, April 24 Time 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Hellseeker Goth Nite, No Fun, Troy, 7pm-11pm

From “Bar People.”

4/24 5:00 PM Gianna Robustiano- Frog Alley Brewing

4/24 6:00 PM BJ Fitzgerald- Spa City Tap & Barrel

4/24 6:00 PM Dan Sherwin- Treehouse Brewery

4/24 6:00 PM DC3- Dock Browns Tavern

4/24 6:00 PM Franklin Micare- 677 Prime

4/24 6:00 PM Harmonic Duo- Hill Creek Tavern

4/24 6:00 PM Jay Yager- Hilton Garden Inn,,, 30Park

4/24 6:00 PM Jeff Stein- The Scarlet Knife

4/24 6:00 PM Josh Clark- S&S farm Brewery

4/24 6:00 PM Kate Stano- Inn at Saratoga

4/24 6:00 PM Keith Pray Trio- Cock & Bull

4/24 6:00 PM Kilashandrs- Artisanal Brew Works

4/24 6:00 PM Live Bait- OK Socail

4/24 6:00 PM Rob Aronstein- Wishing Well

4/24 6:00 PM Russ Kennedy- Powers Pub

4/24 6:00 PM Seth Warden &Company- Saratoga Winery

4/24 6:00 PM Shine On- Carsons Woodside Tavern

4/24 6:00 PM The Eastern Highs- Eleven at Lark Hall

4/24 6:30 PM 3 Philosophers- Peddlers Bar & Bistro

4/24 6:30 PM Kilashandrs- Artisanal Brew Works

4/24 6:30 PM Pat Decker- Diamond Club at Embassy Suites

4/24 7:00 PM Bad Monk & DJ Tune- Night Owl

4/24 7:00 PM Glen Rocks Band- Hedge Bistro

4/24 7:00 PM Jason Irwin- Seven Bistro

4/24 7:00 PM New Whiskey River Band- Holy Moses

4/24 7:00 PM Radio Gold- Panza’s

4/24 7:00 PMChuck Ayers- O’Slattery’s

4/24 7:30 PM Donna Tritico Band- Vroomans Caroga Lake

4/24 8:00 PM Art n Shawna- Cooperstown Distilling Saratoga

4/24 8:00 PM Chasing Neon- Van Slycks at Rivers Casino

4/24 8:00 PM DJ Chris G- Misfit

4/24 8:00 PM Psychomantum- Ophelia’s Restaurant

4/24 8:00 PM Sean Lippin- Bourbon Room

4/24 8:00 PM The Bear Bones Project- Rustic Barn

4/24 8:30 PM Cryin Out Loud- Vapor

4/24 8:30 PM Funk Evolution- Frog Alley Brewing

4/24 9:00 PM Chad Mcloughlin Quartet- Nine Maple

4/24 9:30 PM Schmooze- Spa City Tap & Barrel

Saturday, April 25th

The Egg Presents: Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, The Egg, Albany, 7:15pm

Dance Saturday, April 25 2026 • 8:00pm • 7:15pm Prelude Talk

The Egg’s resident company celebrates the culmination of its 35th season with a program that includes signature works from each decade along with premieres choreographed by guest artist & kathak dancer Barkha Patel and company member Emily Gunter. A third premiere, Sinopoli’s work Silken Threads, will feature three selections from the opus of George Gershwin recorded by the pianist Kevin Cole, the foremost interpreter of the iconic American composer’s works and part of the Gershwin Legacy Project. The program will also feature live music by Don Knaack and visual art by Thom O’Connor.

Steel Panther – Twenty Twenty $ex Tour, Empire Live, Albany, 8pm

Melrose Avenue, Empire Live, Albany, 8pm

CC Smokes, Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, 8pm-11pm

Get ready for a soulful, funky blues groove when CC Smokes hits the stage at the Rustic Barn Pub on April 25.

Happy Hour with Sabrina Trueheart & Ernie and the Band at The Eleven, Albany, 6pm-8pm

Join us in welcoming Sabrina Trueheart with guests Ernie & the Band at The Eleven on Saturday, April 25th. 6pm/FREE

Lark Hall Presents Al Olender with special guest Aubrey Haddard, Lark Hall, Albany, 8pm-11:30pm

Join us in welcoming Al Olender back for her first Headlining show on the Lark Hall stage on Saturday, April 25th. Doors 7/Show 8

Songwriter Al Olender tries to grasp the brief, beautiful moments that make up our lives in slow-motion but finds that the tighter she holds on, the more these frames fall into a soupy blur. Change is our only constant, but what if we wanted to steep in the now? What if we could stay right here? Olender captures the anxieties of an ever-moving world with a sweet and silly sincerity on her second full-length album The Worrier, never shying away from staring the truth right in the face. Exploring anxiety, sexuality and anarchy, both in herself and in her relationships, Olender’s acoustic, bluesy melodies point to the butterflies of first crushes, the gut-punching realities of responsibility and the eternal romance of friendship.

– Sammy Maine

Dave Matthews Tribute Band w/ Rich Ortiz, Putnam Place, Saratoga, 8pm-11:45am

Dedicated to recreating that moment in musical history, the Dave Matthews Tribute Band has been honing their craft for over 20 years. Since 2004, the band’s ruthless touring schedule has been unparalleled, playing over 2000 shows in 46 states and 10 countries.

Jane Siberry, Caffe Lena, Saratoga, 9pm-10pm

Visionary. Uncompromising. Ever-evolving

Jane Siberry is one of Canada’s most original and influential singer-songwriters—an artist whose work has always existed just beyond easy definition. Best known for transcendent songs like Calling All Angels, Love Is Everything, and Mimi On The Beach, Siberry has built a singular body of work that blends the poetic, the spiritual, and the deeply human.

Burlesque and Drag for Tim Robinson, Lost and Found, Albany, 10pm

WCDB vs WRPI: Battle of the Bands – Daisy Chain / Gas Leak / Pseudosky / Totally Confused, No Fun, Troy, 7pm-11pm

From “Bar People.”

4/25 10:00 AM Starlight Generation- Saratoga Farmers Market at Wilton Mall

4/25 2:00 PM Question Of The Century- Artisanal Brew Works

4/25 3:00 PM Jeff Grippin- Helderberg Mountain Brewing

4/25 3:00 PM John DiBiase- Other One Brewery

4/25 5:00 PM Colin McCarthy- Frog Alley Brewing

4/25 5:00 PM Shine On- Artisanal Brew Works

4/25 6:00 PM Ben Zoleski- Spa City Tap & Barrel

4/25 6:00 PM Brian Kane Duo- Dock Browns Tavern

4/25 6:00 PM Broken Spur Band- The View at Brookhaven Golf Course

4/25 6:00 PM Donna Tritico Band- OK Socail

4/25 6:00 PM Jeffrey Halsteaf- Panza’s

4/25 6:00 PM Josh & Ashley Clevenstine Back Barn Brewery .. Delanson

4/25 6:00 PM Juniper- The Scarlet Knife

4/25 6:00 PM Pat Decker- Thirsty Owl

4/25 6:00 PM Rob Aronstein- Wishing Well

4/25 6:00 PM Sabrina Trueheart & Ernie and the Band- Eleven at Lark Hall

4/25 6:00 PM Sheri Nolan & Peter von Allmen- Inn at Saratoga

4/25 6:00 PM Susie Q & Matt Donnelly- Carsons Woodside Tavern

4/25 6:00 PM Trivia Night- S&S farm Brewery

4/25 6:00 PM Tyler Giroux- 677 Prime

4/25 6:30 PM Acoustic Graffiti- Peddlers Bar & Bistro

4/25 6:30 PM TBD- Diamond Club at Embassy Suites

4/25 7:00 PM BR & B- Forty One Sports Bar

4/25 7:00 PM Completly Different Band- Kraverie

4/25 7:00 PM Pearl- Emack & Bolios

4/25 7:00 PM The Schmooze & DJ Chizzzik- Night Owl

4/25 7:00 PM Whiskey Highway- Cherry Plain Square #17

4/25 8:00 PM Bootleggers- Bourbon Room

4/25 8:00 PM CC Smokes- Rustic Barn

4/25 8:00 PM Dave Matthews Tribute Band Wsg Rich Ortiz- Putnam Place

4/25 8:00 PM DJ Mic Power- Misfit

4/25 8:00 PM Jason Irwin- Outpost 40

4/25 8:00 PM Joe Adee & The Lugnuts- Guiseppe’s Restaurant

4/25 8:00 PM Olender- Lark Hall

4/25 8:30 PM Big Sky Country- Vapor

4/25 8:30 PM Tommy V Live- Frog Alley Brewing

4/25 9:00 PM Ill Funk Ensemble- Van Slycks at Rivers Casino

4/25 9:00 PM Keith Pray Quartet- Nine Maple

4/25 9:30 PM Open Bar Band- Spa City Tap & Barrel

Sunday, April 26th

ESYO: The Fire Within feat. Mahler Symphony No. 1, Troy Saving Bank Music Hall, 3pm

Our rising soloist steps forward alongside Mahler 1–a journey from whispered nature to radiant celebration.

ACCESS ESYO allows you to purchase concert tickets for as little as $1 per seat, and is sustained through an ongoing “pay it forward” campaign that invites those who can, to contribute the “gift of music” to our onlineACCESS ESYOticket bank. ESYO has never turned away a qualified musician due to economic hardship and annually awards $30,000 in scholarships and tuition assistance. Now, we are taking steps to ensure that we never turn away an enthusiastic audience member for the same reason.

Rock Voices Albany – Spring Concert 2026, The Egg, Albany, 4pm

Join Rock Voices Albany, the Capital District’s only community Rock Choir for an evening of incredible music!

We’ve got a full roster of songs by your favorite artists: The Beatles, Jimmy Cliff, Billy Strings, Grateful Dead, Three Dog Night, Suzanne Vega, Fitz and the Tantrums, Steely Dan, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, The Weepies, and more! With over 200 voices, a live band, and tasty harmonies, we guarantee you’ll be singing along by the end of the night!

Rock Voices represents everything that is wonderful about Albany: a sense of community, a love of music, and a desire to share that joy with others. This season’s concert will feature a giant basket raffle; all raffle proceeds will benefit Community Hospice, so bring your cash and your longest arm (for measuring tickets).

Stifel Stars on Ice, MVP Arena, Albany, 4pm

U.S. OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS HEADLINE STIFEL STARS ON ICE 2026 TOUR

U.S. Figure Skating returns from Milan with one of the most decorated American teams in Winter Olympic history – and now you can see them LIVE on the ice during the Stifel Stars on Ice 2026 tour!

Headlining this year’s star-studded lineup is Olympic Champion Alysa Liu, alongside Olympic Team Gold Medalists Madison Chock & Evan Bates, Ilia Malinin,  Amber Glenn and Ellie Kam & Danny O’Shea. Joining them will be World Silver Medalist Isabeau Levito, Olympic Team Medalist Jason Brown, 2026 Olympians Andrew Torgashev, Emily Chan & Spencer Howe. 2026 World Medalists and U.S. Olympic Ice Dancers Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik will be the guest skaters in the Albany performance.

Concert Crave Presents: CupcakKe, Empire Live, Albany, 8pm

DALLAS WAX / The Greetings, No Fun, Troy, 7pm-8pm

From “Bar People.”

4/26 1:00 PM Seeds & Soul- Other One Brewery

4/26 3:30 PM Roseanna Grimaldi- Hank Hudson Brewing

4/26 4:00 PM Maggie Doherty & Jeff Walton ,, Singer Songwriter- Artisanal Brew Works

4/26 4:00 PM Tim Wechgelaer- Carsons Woodside Tavern

4/26 5:00 PM Alex Riddell- Kings Tavern

4/26 5:00 PM Dan Sherwin- Yanni’s Too

4/26 6:00 PM Sinatra And Friends- Panza’s

4/26 7:00 PM Tommy Castro & The Painkillers- Parting Glass

4/26 7:30 PM Soulasylum- Universal Preservation Hall

 

Just Announced: The Palace Theatre to Host Black Label Society w/ Zakk Sabbath & Dark Chapel

Staff
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Just Announced: The Palace Theatre to Host Black Label Society w/ Zakk Sabbath & Dark Chapel
Black Label Society
w/ Zakk Sabbath & Dark Chapel
August 25 at 7:30pm  
Palace Theatre Albany, NY
Zakk Wylde will tell you that everything Black Label Society begins and ends with the riff.
For more than 25 years, Black Label Society has stood as one of heavy music’s most unshakeable pillars, delivering album after album of blues-soaked grooves, hard-hitting riffs, and soul-baring ballads. “Engines of Demolition” makes no exception to the steady rule of unrelenting commitment to pure, uncompromising, hard rock.
In 2022, Wylde was invited to honor his fallen brothers, the late great Dimebag Darrell Abbott and his brother Vinnie Paul, as part of the Pantera Celebration. Writing and recording with Black Label Society over these last four years is when Engines of Demolition was born.
Engines of Demolition follows the release of four singles, “The Gallows” (2024), “Lord Humungus” (2025), “Broken and Blind” (2025) and “Name In Blood” (2026), and marks the first full-length album release since Doom Crew Inc. (2021).
Black Label Society is the pure expression of the paradox of Zakk Wylde’s darkest, loudest riffs and softest soul-crushing ballads. BLS is a relentless, heavy, bluesy, unhinged hard-rock-metal circus quartet summoning caffeine-fueled cacophony on records and the stage. BLS songs are odes to celebration and mourning from the darkest depths to the highest of highs.
A charismatic hard rock and metal marauder recognized as a living legend and guitar icon, Wylde rose to prominence when Ozzy Osbourne chose him as his loyal axe man. Multi-platinum albums, countless guitar magazine covers, Worldwide sold out tours, his own guitar and coffee brands add to Wylde’s ever-growing legacy. He gets as much joy from fronting his Black Label Society as he did playing on stage with his hero, Ozzy Osbourne, in his Black Sabbath cover band, Zakk Sabbath.
“Less is more with everything, “Except the guitar solos and coffee!”
Zakk Sabbath is the Black Sabbath cover band featuring guitarist/vocalist Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne), bassist Blasko (Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie) and drummer Joey Castillo (Danzig, Queens of the Stone Age)
Dark Chapel, fronted by guitarist/singer Dario Lorina (Black Label Society), blends precise guitar work, sludgy grooves, melodic hooks with bluesy touches and grunge allure. Dark Chapel’s 2025 debut LP, *Spirit in the Glass* (MNRK Heavy), balances heavy, ethereal, and passionate elements.
Dario Lorina began his professional career at 16 as the touring guitarist with the late Jani Lane (ex-Warrant) and later joined Lizzy Borden. In 2014 he notably joined Black Label Society, logging thousands of miles on the road with the band, shredding alongside Zakk Wylde on 2021’s Doom Crew Inc. and accompanied the Black Label Society mastermind and six-string legend on the cover of Guitar World. Dario also unleashed two instrumental solo albums through Shrapnel Records, namely Dario Lorina (2013) and Death Grip Tribulations (2017) before assembling Dark Chapel in 2024.
TICKETS ARE $39.50 – $89.50. Tickets go ON SALE FRIDAY, APRIL 24 at 10:00AM via Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Palace Theatre Box Office (located at 19 Clinton Ave). Box Office hours are Monday – Friday Noon to 5PM as well as select days and hours for events and On Sales.

Year of Storms, Chptr. 8 – Xperience Fiction

Staff
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Year of Storms, Chptr. 8 – Xperience Fiction

Year of Storms, Chptr. 8 – Xperience Fiction – by Liam Sweeny.

The paper crinkled in straight slashes, triangles meeting each other, three dimensions to the surface of the paper. It was an anachronism on the brushed steel counter. It was the light of the world when she was three; its extinguisher by age four. She’d seen paper currency only once in her life, when her dad gave a suitcase full of it to a man that stuffed them in what she’d later learn was a tractor trailer. But none of those bills were marked one-hundred.

“Sir, we use hypno here,” she said. “It’s the tier one service rate. If you’re worried about our scanner, it’s calibrated every morning.”

The man pulled a pink silk handkerchief out and coughed into it, causing a monogrammed rose to bunch up at the close of his fist.

“I know that you take hard currency,” he said. “I’m from Delta City. Our economy isn’t fully hypno-based. My,” he cleared his throat, “station, in life doesn’t use hypno.”

Cellie couldn’t tell whether it meant his station was above or below the high society line, but hard, real cash and soft, real silk gave her a guess.

“I know that we do take some hard currency from our more, well, our esteemed guests. You said that you were with the group that came in earlier? They used hypno.”

“They attend to me,” the man said. “It’s their station in life to use hypno. I’m very tired from my trip. Is there someone I can talk to about this, no offense to you?”

Cellie set the tips of her fingers to the edge of the bills, not daring to touch them lest she wind up an accomplice.

“I’m going to go talk to the manager,” she said. “She’ll know how to do it. Feel free to enjoy one of our relaxation rooms. The executive room is nice.” She pointed to the executive room entrance. “Right there.”

Cellie walked down the first-floor hallway, her hand on the rail, also brushed steel, a direct extension of the registration desk, her eyes adjusting to the brighter light that, like the lobby, was designed to not come from an identifiable source. He turned into the office doorway to find the manager, Helen.

The Diplomat Hotel, aside from being able to have a wood-burning fireplace, also had a paper license, and that license was well used. Papers piled on a desk that had no owner and served as storage for homeless forms. Helen sat on a clean Lucite desk with a lumen panel incorporated into the surface, just like the ones in the business area.

“Helen, I got something,” Cellie said. “I got a guy out front with currency.”

“What kind?” Helen said. “Does it look like anything you’ve ever seen?”

“Yeah, it’s money; I guess, U.S. currency. Five hundred dollars in hundred-dollar bills.”

Helen sighed and pushed herself back from her desk. “Yeah, I got to look at it.”

“Sorry, I know your foot is hurting.”

Helen grabbed a clear plastic cane with a rainbow LED cascade effect traveling its length up and down. “I can’t sit down forever,” she said. “The problem with currency isn’t that it’s illegal in the city. We have a diplomatic pass for that. It’s that because its illegal in the city, nobody knows how to spot a fake bill.”

Cellie opened the door for her and stepped back.

“I had to take a two-week course at the Travel Directorate to spot fakes from a bunch of countries,” she said. “Only good thing is that they don’t print the stuff anymore.”

The man was fidgeting with his fedora, a style hat that had been growing in popularity in Unity among the trendsetters. Cellie thought it was unique to Unity, but apparently it wasn’t. Or the man was a trendsetter in his own city.

Helen walked behind the desk and swiped her hand over the bills. She picked one up and reached under the counter, pulling out an ocular. She held the bill up to it, letting the light shine through the fibers. She moved the ocular across the bill, to each corner before she set both down.

“It’s real,” she said. She looked at the man and tapped her index finger gently on the desk. “It’ll be four hundred and fifty for a night, and we need your Travel ID in case of incidentals, extra charges.”

“I can’t imagine any charges,” he said.

“Nobody can,” Helen said. “But they happen. You have your travel ID, right?”

The man patted four pockets before reaching in his back pocket, pulling out a lump of leather, the likes of which Cellie had seen in the museum by her cylinder. It was a wallet. She guessed that her father had one of those before the Collapse. Everybody did, but she was too young.

He pulled out the ID, which Helen took and scanned. A beep indicated that it was valid.

“There you go, Mr. Kringle,” she said. She handed him his keycard. “Your room is 5WB. The room amenities are included. Everything outside of the room is extra. Come to the desk for that stuff.”

“Thank you,” Mr. Kringle said as he turned to go for the main elevators.

Cellie gave Mr. Kringle little thought as she continued her struggle to keep the rooms clean. One thing that she’d noticed about Unity, her unique observation, was that, despite the inordinate amount of resources used to keep the city clean, and thus, keep everybody happy, they could never keep on top of fingerprints. Human oils coated every surface and could build up within a day. And it barely registered with the person walking down the street, their eyes awash in Lumen panel advertisements. But there was a human slick over just about everything, an undeniable piece of evidence that there were twenty-six million people in a land area designed for just under ten million.

She finished scrubbing fingerprints off the desks and lumen panels, cleaned the carpets, and recycled the fluid in the utility room. She was just coming out into the reception area to check the security screens when she had the overwhelming feeling that she lost something. She very nearly moved to check her pockets before she realized that, in fact, she had lost someone.

Podre.

 

More from Liam Sweeny…

Beach Boys Celebrate 250 Years of the USA at M&T Center on August 1st.

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Beach Boys Celebrate 250 Years of the USA at M&T Center on August 1st.
Schenectady, NY – As The Beach Boys mark more than a half century of making music, the group continues to ride the crest of a wave unequalled in America’s musical history.  The Beach Boys – who have become synonymous with the California lifestyle and an American icon to fans around the world — will celebrate 250 years of the USA, saluting 60 years of Pet Sounds, at the M&T Bank Center in Schenectady, NY on Saturday, August 1. The Beach Boys are presented by Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady in partnership with the M&T Bank Center management group.
Tickets for The Beach Boys go on sale this Friday, April 24 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at mandtbankcenter.com. Tickets start at $39 (plus fees) and are subject to change. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and show starts at 7 p.m.
Since the band’s co-founder, lead-singer and chief lyricist Mike Love penned the lyrics to The Beach Boys’ first hit,“Surfin’” (1961), dozens of the bands chart toppers have become eternal anthems of American youth: “Surfin’ USA,” “Surfer Girl,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get Around,” “California Girls,” “Help Me Rhonda,” “Barbara Ann,” “Good Vibrations,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Rock and Roll Music” and “Kokomo.”
The Beach Boys have sold over 100 million records worldwide and have received more than 33 RIAA Platinum and Gold record awards.  The Rock And Roll Hall of Famers where also honored at the 2001 Grammy Awards with the Lifetime Achievement Award.  With more than five decades of touring under their belts, The Beach Boys have performed more concerts than any major rock band in history.
Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys, Capitol/EMI’s 30-track collection of the band’s biggest hits, has achieved triple-platinum success with sales of more than three million copies in the U.S. since its release.
The Beach Boys remain at the forefront of music and culture through their recent projects. In 2024, THE BEACH BOYS documentary debuted on Disney+, offering fans a comprehensive look at the band’s journey from their humble beginnings to becoming one of the most influential acts in music history. Directed by Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny, the film features never-before-seen footage, interviews with band members including Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston, and contributions from other industry luminaries such as Lindsey Buckingham and Janelle Monáe. The documentary soundtrack, available via Capitol/UMe, includes classic Beach Boys hits and the bonus track “Little Blue Bathing Suit” by Stephen Sanchez.
In 2023, The Beach Boys were honored in the CBS tribute special Grammy Salute to the Beach Boys, which featured performances from Beck, Brandi Carlile, Michael McDonald, Pentatonix, St. Vincent, Weezer, Norah Jones, John Legend, and Mumford & Sons among others.
In June 2025, Mike Love was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an honor recognizing his profound contributions to the world of music.  He joined an esteemed class of 2025 inductees including The Doobie Brothers’ Michael McDonald, Tom Johnston, and Patrick Simmons; George Clinton; Ashley Gorley; Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins; and Tony Macaulay.
The Beach Boys are led by Mike Love, who, along with musical director Brian Eichenberger, Christian Love, Tim Bonhomme, Jon Bolton, Keith Hubacher, Randy Leago, John Wedemeyer and Chris Cron continue the legacy of the iconic band.

Seed and Soul Band – Thanks for Asking!

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Seed and Soul Band – Thanks for Asking!

Seed and Soul Band – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: It’s a lot of fun living in the present, but we all collect memories and give birth to dreams. We’re talking dreams here. Where you see yourself next year? In the next five years?

SSB: In the next year we as a duo hope be performing at more private events and expanding into other areas of the Capital district…In 5 years…releasing an album and perhaps even moving into some unconventional yet effective ministerial options…large scale events…traveling more and expanding into other areas of the northeast and beyond!

RRX: Part of learning to be a musician is to fall in love with a song, an album, and hammer away at your instrument until you can play that whole thing. What was that song for you? Was there a hardest part?

SSB: For us both it was Ray LaMontagne’s music.  Songs like “Empty” and “We’ll Make it through” to name a few. Both of us felt his music ministered to us before we knew each other, and once we met, it was an inspirational force to step up and re-create that experience for our audience and each other performing. Staying consistent in tempo and the marriage like dance between note and lyric and voice …and creating the same feel with 2 voices and 1 guitar, was a challenge, but so very worth it!

RRX: With services like Spotify, streaming revenue can be pretty dismal. Without spilling secrets, do you have a promotional mindset or philosophy?

SSB: Really, we just get out there, anywhere …anytime we can…We still feel person to person and connecting to our audience, creating a good word of mouth convo for future venues and patrons has been key to all types of our revenue!

RRX: We let it out differently when we play music. The happy, sad, good and back; it can all be put out musically. Overall, do you feel better when you sing about the better times, or the worser times? Is there a difference you can describe?

It’s a bit of both! It just feels good for us both to perform, good or bad times…it’s a coming together of sorts for us and our audience. And the difference blurs for us both… it’s a transcendent experience as our emotions come out though our music…it has in effect helped us both in so many ways…we think that comes through to our listeners…. Music has such a therapeutic effect on us all, especially when we perform it.  What has been key for us both is the response and experience we create for our audience. The covers we choose speak to so many real-life emotions, and we really do our best to put our soul into each show…the feedback we get from our audience is amazing, such gratitude, it’s like church, therapy, and a reminiscent experience…they always leave better then they came in!

RRX: What instrument would you add to the band if you could? Is there anything you are trying to do musically that would be helped with one or more additional players?

SSB: We’ve got big ideas…. But not just yet-  at some point perhaps fiddle, bass, and drums perhaps…..We are developing a mystical blue grass, folk feel… deep harmonies that are ethereal with a borderline 1970’s feel….so Seed & Soul is young still..it will be interesting to see how this all develops…but adding unique sound, key instruments most likely will be the direction we are feeling led to go.

RRX: Let’s talk about your next project, your next few. Just not the ones you’re working on now. The ones you have your eyes on for the future. What’s coming to us?

SSB: Definitely some new originals, refining our sound and feel…a new album …maybe even revamping some past original releases ( Paultaddeomusic.com). Perhaps some themed events, and large-scale benefit concerts with other local artists!

 

 

 

More from Liam Sweeny…

Intercut Realities

Timothy Reidy
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Intercut Realities

Intercut Realities is an exhibition on collage currently on display at Saratoga Arts. It features artists Benj Gleeksman, Alison Bachorik, Avery Hartranft, and Emily Tironi, and can be seen through May 9.

Photography by Timothy Reidy.

More from Timothy Reidy here …

 

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