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World-Class Wind Players Featured in Troy Chromatic Concert Series

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World-Class Wind Players Featured in Troy Chromatic Concert Series

TROY, NEW YORK:     The Troy Chromatic Concert Series continues its 128 season on March 10 at 7:30 p.m. with an extraordinary evening of chamber music as the internationally acclaimed Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) takes the stage for a program titled Century of Winds.

Featuring six of today’s most distinguished wind players alongside pianist and composer Michael Stephen Brown, the program traces a rich and colorful journey through more than 150 years of music written for winds — from Romantic lyricism to 20th-century modernism.

The evening opens with Maurice Emmanuel’s luminous Sonata for Flute, Clarinet, and Piano, performed by flutist Tara Helen O’Connor, clarinetist David Shifrin, and Brown at the piano. The trio sets the tone for a program that highlights the expressive warmth and virtuosic brilliance of wind instruments.

Horn takes center stage next, as David Byrd-Marrow performs Richard Strauss’s Andante for Horn and Piano and Carl Czerny’s Andante e polacca in E major, both paired with Brown. Byrd-Marrow, known for his dynamic contemporary work as solo hornist of the International Contemporary Ensemble and member of The Knights, brings both power and lyricism to these Romantic-era works.

The first half concludes with August Klughardt’s expansive Quintet in C major for winds, featuring O’Connor, oboist Juri Vallentin, Shifrin, bassoonist Peter Kolkay, and Byrd-Marrow — a richly textured work that showcases the full palette of wind color and interplay.

After intermission, André Jolivet’s rhythmically charged Sonatine for Oboe and Bassoon highlights Vallentin and Kolkay in an engaging dialogue. The program culminates in Louise Farrenc’s masterful Sextet in C minor, a sweeping and dramatic work that unites all six musicians for a brilliant finale.

The performers represent the very top tier of international artistry. Pianist Michael Stephen Brown, hailed by The New York Times as “one of the leading figures in the current renaissance of performer-composers,” is a 2025 MacDowell Fellow and recipient of Lincoln Center’s Emerging Artist Award and an Avery Fisher Career Grant. A dynamic presence both as composer and performer, Brown has appeared at Alice Tully Hall and major venues worldwide.

He is joined by an extraordinary roster of CMS artists: two-time Grammy nominee Tara Helen O’Connor; Avery Fisher Prize winner David Shifrin; Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and bassoon virtuoso Peter Kolkay; internationally acclaimed German oboist Juri Vallentin; and hornist David Byrd-Marrow, a leading voice in both classical and contemporary repertoire.

Founded in 1969, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center is widely regarded as one of the world’s premier chamber music organizations, known for bringing together the finest performers for innovative and compelling programs. Their appearance in Troy offers local audiences a rare opportunity to experience musicians of this caliber in an intimate concert setting.

The Century of Winds program promises an evening of elegance, brilliance, and expressive depth — a celebration of the artistry and versatility of wind instruments across generations.

The concert takes place March 10 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Troy Chromatic Concert Series. Tickets and additional information are available through the via phone, (518) 273-0038, in person, or online at  TroyMusicHall.org.  More information on the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and upcoming programs is also available on the website at www.troymusichall.org.

Whassup in the 518? – Weekend shows

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Whassup in the 518? – Weekend shows

Whassup in the 518?

Friday, February 13th

Swan Lake, The Egg, Albany, 7pm

Presented by Grand Kyiv Ballet

Swan Lake is a ballet masterpiece that tells the story of a prince who falls in love with a beautiful swan princess under a spell. The ballet is renowned for its stunning choreography, intricate set design, and Tchaikovsky’s captivating music. Its themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption continue to resonate with audiences of all ages and backgrounds, making it a timeless classic that has endured for more than a century.

This timeless tale of love and magic will be brought to life by the finest dancers of the Ukrainian National Opera and Ballet Theater. The dancers’ graceful movements will transport audiences to a world of enchantment and wonder.

Confederates – Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York, theRep, Albany

By Dominique Morisseau
Two Black American women – an enslaved rebel and a professor at a contemporary university – are having parallel experiences of institutional racism, though they live over a century apart. Tony-nominated playwright Dominique Morisseau’s exacting new play explores the reins that racial and gender bias still hold over American educational systems today.
“Confederates” is a part of BTTUNY’s 25-26 season.

JJ Grey & Mofro, Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga

From his early days playing cover music behind chicken wire at a west side Jacksonville juke joint while still working at a lumberyard, to playing sold-out shows at some of the largest venues and music festivals in the world, JJ Grey has always delivered his soul-honest truths. Since his first album, ‘Blackwater’, back in 2001, Grey has been releasing deeply moving, masterfully written, funkified rock and front porch Southern soul music.

Now, with ‘Olustee’ – his tenth album and first in eight years, and the first he has self-produced – Grey is back, singing his personal stories with universal themes of redemption, rebirth, hard luck, and inner peace. With his music, Grey also celebrates good times with friends, oftentimes mixing the carnal with the cerebral in the very same song. Fueled by his vividly detailed, timeless original songs spun from his life experiences, Grey’s gritty baritone drips with honest passion and testifies with a preacher’s foot-pounding fervor.

Lie wsg Brainwasher, Strike Down, Selfless Demise, Age of Pain, Empire Live, Albany, 6:30pm

MJ The Illusion: Reliving The King Of Pop, Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes, 7:30pm

MJ The Illusion is a one-of-a-kind music concert that will take you on a journey through the music, performances, and visuals of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Through this live performance experience, you’ll be immersed in the magic of Michael Jackson’s music, from his breakthrough album “Off the Wall” to his timeless hits like “Thriller” and “Smooth Criminal” and of course “Billie Jean.”

Off The Record Trio, Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, 8pm-11pm

Step back in time with Off The Record Trio, the Capital District’s premier 1960s rock ‘n’ roll lounge band!

Happy Hour with the South Maniacs at The Eleven, Lark Hall, Albany, 6pm-8pm

Join us in welcoming the South Maniacs to The Eleven for a Happy Hour celebration on Friday 2/13! 6pm/ FREE.

The South Mainiacs feature Pete O’Hearn (vocals, guitar) and Brian Miller (vocals, bass), best known as members of Dr. Jah & the Love Prophets and Mixed Roots, as well as The Bear Bones Project and Duchess & her Court (Pete) and The Deadbeats and The Brain Darts (Brian). With a deep and varied repertoire of rock, reggae and more, the South Mainiacs are ready to entertain you.

Gratefully Yours, Putnam Place, Saratoga, 8pm-11:59pm

Gratefully Yours is a Grateful Dead inspired band, based out of New Paltz, NY. The band was conceived and founded in 2012 by keyboardist Alex Mazur, who is also the founder of The Deadbeats; one of the longest running Grateful Dead cover bands in existence.

Carolyn Shapiro, Caffe Lena, Saratoga, 8pm-10pm

is an old-time banjo player and songwriter from Upstate New York whose music feels like a warm, home-cooked meal for the spirit. Rooted in traditional Appalachian style yet boldly original, her songs weave together sultry nuance, old-time grit, and thoughtful storytelling. The result is music that sounds both timeless and newly unearthed—familiar enough to feel like home, yet fresh enough to stir something deep within.

No One You Know Emo Feminomenon, Lost and Found, Albany, 9pm

Valentine’s Week REUNION SHOW! No Fun, Troy, 7pm-11pm

From “Bar People.”

2/13 4:15 PM Erin Powers- Northern Lights Dispensery

2/13 5:00 PM Dan Sherwin- Frog Alley Brewing

2/13 6:00 PM BJ Fitzgerald- Spa City Tap & Barrel

2/13 6:00 PM Chad McLoughlin Trio- Landing Hotel at Rivers Casino

2/13 6:00 PM Chris Carey- The Scarlet Knife

2/13 6:00 PM Chris Dollard & Nick Horace- Carsons Woodside Tavern

2/13 6:00 PM Dan Dekalb 677 Prime

2/13 6:00 PM Eric Peter- Powers Pub

2/13 6:00 PM Grace Todd- Mixed Breed Brewing

2/13 6:00 PM Had The Radish- Thirsty Owl

2/13 6:00 PM Hannah Estelle & Luke Pavlus- Saratoga Winery

2/13 6:00 PM Juniper- Hank Hudson Brewing

2/13 6:00 PM Laura Paigo & Bill Alberts- Hilton Garden Inn,,, 30Park

2/13 6:00 PM Mark Scirocco- Quarters

2/13 6:00 PM Matty Finn- Tinney’s Tavern

2/13 6:00 PM Mike O’Donnell- Cock & Bull

2/13 6:00 PM Mike Purcell- The Wishing Well

2/13 6:00 PM Music Bingo- S&S farm Brewery

2/13 6:00 PM Pete Constantino- Treehouse Brewery

2/13 6:00 PM Russ Kennedy- Inn at Saratoga

2/13 6:00 PM The Bootleggers… Candlelight Concert Series- The Hidaway

2/13 6:30 PM Kyle Hommel- Other One Brewery

2/13 6:30 PM Rich Ortiz- DIamond Club at Embassy Suites

2/13 6:30pm Kirk Diehl – Peddlers Bar & Bistro

2/13 7:00 PM Ain’t No Strangers- Kraverie

2/13 7:00 PM Jeff Walton- Principessa Elena

2/13 7:00 PM River Country Band- Outpost 40

2/13 7:00 PM Ryan Clark Band- The Night Owl

2/13 7:00 PM Scott & Company- O’Slattery’s

2/13 7:00 PM Shannon Tehya , Keegan James , Areli- September’s Too

2/13 7:00 PM Waiting For Bruce Band- Bunker Saratoga

2/13 8:00 PM Art n Shawna- Cooperstown Distilling Saratoga

2/13 8:00 PM Carolyn Shapiro- Caffe Lena

2/13 8:00 PM DJ Vision- Misfit

2/13 8:00 PM Gratefully Yours- Putnam Place

2/13 8:00 PM Harmonic Duo- Rookies Sports Bar

2/13 8:00 PM JJ Grey & MoFro- Universal Preservation Hall

2/13 8:00 PM Legacy- Van Slycks at Rivers Casino

2/13 8:00 PM Matt O’Rourke- Bourbon Room

2/13 8:00 PM Off The Record- Rustic Barn Pub

2/13 9:00 PM Tim Olsen Quartet- Nine Maple

2/13 9:30 PM DJ Postman- Spa City Tap & Barrel

Saturday, February 14th

Loren Loiacono + Tchaikovsky & Mahler, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, 7:30pm

Loren Loiacono + Tchaikovsky & Mahler
Saturday, February 14 at 7:30pm
Sunday, February 15 at 3:00pm
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

Tickets: $70-20
$15 Student Tickets Available!

David Alan Miller, conductor
Kara Dugan, mezzo-soprano
John Brancy, baritone

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Tempest
Gustav Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer
Loren Loiacono: New Vocal Work (world premiere)
Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish”

Saturday 2/14: https://purchase.albanysymphony.com/ChooseSeats/803

Sunday 2/15: https://purchase.albanysymphony.com/ChooseSeats/1601

Eric Church: Free the Machine Tour, MVP Arena, Albany, 7:30pm

Eric Church brings his Free The Machine Tour to MVP Arena on Saturday, February 14 with special guest Ella Langley.

Confederates – Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York, theRep, Albany

By Dominique Morisseau
Two Black American women – an enslaved rebel and a professor at a contemporary university – are having parallel experiences of institutional racism, though they live over a century apart. Tony-nominated playwright Dominique Morisseau’s exacting new play explores the reins that racial and gender bias still hold over American educational systems today.
“Confederates” is a part of BTTUNY’s 25-26 season.

Brian Kane & The Beginning -V-Day Love Fest, Rustic Barn Pub, Troy, 8pm-11pm

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with soulful live music from Brian Kane & The Beginning. Bring your sweetheart or just your love of music to Rustic Barn Pub in Troy, NY!

Happy Hour at The Eleven with Hollywood Herb, Lark Hall, Albany, 6pm-8pm

Join us for a Valentines Day to remember with guitar virtuoso Hollywood Herb at The Eleven on Saturday 2/14 at 6pm/FREE

Hollywood Herb is a man of many talents, He’s a Freaker of the Funk, a Roller of the Rock and a Herald of Hip Hop! Whether he’s drumming with his International Hendrix Tribute Band “Kiss The Sky” or ripping rhymes on BET’s Freestyle Friday, he’s an entertainer you don’t want to miss!

Lark Hall

Hex presents Hearts of Darkness, Lark Hall, Albany, 9pm-1am

Join us for a very dark Valentines Day with Hex and their Hearts of Darkness Goth Night. 9-1am/$10

Whether your needs be emotional, purely physical, or more… The 14th is
the time to nurture your dark heart. Sip back drinks with your
paramour, your closest of friends, or make some new ones. Dance your
inner darkness out. Dress to impress, show off your darkest attire, or
just come as your beautiful self.
Come out our tiny little mice in love

Troy is for Lovers: An Anti-Valentine’s Party, No Fun, Troy, 7pm-11pm

From “Bar People.”

2/14 10:00 AM Hudson River Celli- Saratoga Farmers Market at Wilton Mall

2/14 3:00 PM Mike Herman- Helderberg Mountain Brewing

2/14 5:00 PM Jeff Walton- Dancing Grain Farm Brewery

2/14 5:00 PM Stretch- Don Tequila Mexican Cantina

2/14 6:00 PM Brian LaPointe & Kristyn LaPointe- S&S farm Brewery

2/14 6:00 PM Christine Spero- The Wishing Well

2/14 6:00 PM Dan Sherwin- Landing Hotel at Rivers Casino

2/14 6:00 PM Grace Todd- Mixed Breed Brewing

2/14 6:00 PM Hollywood Herb- Eleven at Lark Hall

2/14 6:00 PM Jacksland- Carsons Woodside Tavern

2/14 6:00 PM Northern Borne- Inn at Saratoga

2/14 6:00 PM Pat Decker- The Scarlet Knife

2/14 6:00 PM Ryan Cahill & Megan Morse- Spa City Tap & Barrel

2/14 6:00 PM Seth Warden &Company- Saratoga Winery

2/14 6:00 PM Take 2- Thirsty Owl

2/14 6:00 PM Tyler Giroux- 677 Prime

2/14 6:30pm Avia & Hayley – Peddlers Bar & Bistro

2/14 7:00 PM Dan Bernstein- Emack & Bolios

2/14 7:00 PM Late Night Philosophers & DJ Biz- The Night Owl

2/14 7:00 PM River Country Band- Hoosick Falls Armory

2/14 7:00 PM TBD- Bunker Saratoga

2/14 7:00 PM Tiny Planet- Kraverie

2/14 8:00 PM Comedy Night- Artisanal Brew Works

2/14 8:00 PM Dashboard Anthem- Van Slycks at Rivers Casino

2/14 8:00 PM DJ Chizzzik- Misfit

2/14 8:00 PM Hammerhead Horns- Albany Elks Club #49

2/14 8:00 PM Soggy Po’ Boys- Caffe Lena

2/14 9:00 PM Out Of The Box- Nine Maple

2/14 9:30 PM 90’s Noise Band- Spa City Tap & Barrel

Sunday, February 15th

Loren Loiacono + Tchaikovsky & Mahler Matinee, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, 3pm

Loren Loiacono + Tchaikovsky & Mahler
Saturday, February 14 at 7:30pm
Sunday, February 15 at 3:00pm
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

Tickets: $70-20
$15 Student Tickets Available!

David Alan Miller, conductor
Kara Dugan, mezzo-soprano
John Brancy, baritone

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Tempest
Gustav Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer
Loren Loiacono: New Vocal Work (world premiere)
Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish”

Saturday 2/14: https://purchase.albanysymphony.com/ChooseSeats/803

Sunday 2/15: https://purchase.albanysymphony.com/ChooseSeats/1601

Confederates – Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate New York, theRep, Albany

By Dominique Morisseau
Two Black American women – an enslaved rebel and a professor at a contemporary university – are having parallel experiences of institutional racism, though they live over a century apart. Tony-nominated playwright Dominique Morisseau’s exacting new play explores the reins that racial and gender bias still hold over American educational systems today.
“Confederates” is a part of BTTUNY’s 25-26 season.

The Little Mermen with Princess Pals, Cohoes Music Hall, Cohoes, 3pm-4:30pm

Recognized globally as the #1 Disney tribute band by Disney, Broadway.com, ABC News, and multiple other outlets, The Little Mermen bring Disney’s beloved songs to life with a rockin’ twist!

The Little Mermen are known for their high-energy performances, dazzling costumes, and a setlist that spans a century of Disney’s iconic soundtracks. From classics like Mary Poppins and The Lion King to modern hits like Frozen and Moana, their shows are a nostalgic journey through the magical world of Disney, infused with rock and pop influences.

Folk Heritage Series: Rev. Robert Jones, Caffe Lena, Saratoga, 7pm-9pm

Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. — Roots Music, Storytelling & Spirit

Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. is a true American original—an award-winning musician, educator, storyteller, and pastor whose work brings the full history of African American roots music to life. For more than forty years, he has traveled the world sharing songs and stories that illuminate the rich cultural traditions behind blues, spirituals, gospel, and folk music.

Party G the Humble / The Magladon / Eighty Gee / DJ Goodlyfe + more, No Fun, Troy, 8pm-11pm

From “Bar People.”

2/15 1:00 PM Brandon LaRocca- Dancing Grain Farm Brewery

2/15 3:30 PM Thom Powers- Hank Hudson Brewing

2/15 5:00 PM Bobbie Van Detta- Charlton Tavern

2/15 6:00 PM Sinatra And Friends- Panza’s

2/15 6:00 PM Susie Q & Matt Donnelly- Carsons Woodside Tavern

 

Alice B. Sullivan – An Xperience Interview

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Alice B. Sullivan – An Xperience Interview

Alice B. Sullivan – An Xperience Interview – by Liam Sweeny.

Death is not the answer. Not if you’re smack dab in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. In this environment, death is not the answer; it’s the admission ticket. Alice B. Sullivan brings zombies to life – or undeath – in the printed page. Her Aftermath series comes with a headshot.

RRX: Let’s start by having you tell me a little bit about yourself first.

ABS: All right. Well, I have been writing since a young age. I think it was like sixth grade in English class when we started writing poems and short stories, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I started by writing poetry and really short stories. I doubt they were any good, but I was 12 years old. I was just having a lot of fun with it. But I grew up loving the horror genre in general. Playing video games (Resident Evil), watching my brother and my cousin play those video games. I consumed horror like it was water. And then I figured out, as I got older, that I could also write. The stories that I loved to consume – whether it was games, books, shows, or movies – I figured out that I could also write those stories. The zombie genre just had this immense chokehold on me from Resident Evil and George Romero. I just stuck with that genre, and I never looked back.

RRX: Your zombies, are they Romero zombies or are they Resident Evil zombies in terms of speed?

ABS: It depends on the series. I have eight books and a couple of short stories, and I have my main series. In my main series, I have more Romero-style zombies in the sense that they shamble. There’s no residual intelligence there. (I know Romero dabbled in his intelligent zombies, which was super cool. I loved “Land of the Dead,” “Diary of the Dead”; I loved it all.) They don’t have the intelligence, but they shamble. They eat all sorts of flesh.  I do also love running zombies cause I think they’re terrific. It just depends on the type of zombies. So if it’s an undead zombie, it’s a shambler, but if it’s like my “living infected,” like “28 Days Later” or “Dawn of the Dead 2004,” it’s gonna be a runner.

RRX: How do you think it happens? In fiction, like if we were to really get zombies, what do you think would keep the undead alive enough to run? How do you think that would happen?

ABS: So, in terms of reality, I think it would be science gone wrong simply because humans always explore things a little bit too far. We think that we can do certain things in the name of science and discovery, but we never really know when to draw a line, and I think because of that, we always cross that line. I think it would be something bioengineered in the sense that it would take hold of the important aspects of the body, so the brain stem, the major organs, but what makes you “you” is kind of gone. In that sense, you’re undead. But the pathogen, whether it be a virus, bacteria, fungus, etc., takes hold of your nervous system and does all of your sort of functions for you, but what makes you you is completely gone.

RRX: When you’re writing about zombies, obviously, there’s metaphor and stuff like that. I look at it from two different kinds of perspectives. One was like the original “Night of the Living Dead.” It was so much about the fear of the zombies. It wasn’t trying to figure out the personalities of the people in the house. It’s all about the fear, the isolation, you being trapped, and trying to figure out how to survive the night.

And then you have “Walking Dead,” where it’s almost like they’re props. Because it’s all about the character development of all these people, and the zombies are just something like window decoration, just a plot device at some point. How do you balance those two perspectives?

ABS: When I consume my zombie media – books, games, what have you – I do like a lovely balance of zombies being a threat on top of human relations. Because, of course, when the apocalypse happens, you’re going to have that human drama, whether it be people going completely ballistic or you’re trying to seek companionship and survival with other people. But when I write, I make sure that zombies are still sort of center stage. In the sense that if people become a little bit too docile to zombies, that’s when you make that mistake, and a single mistake can cost you and other people their lives. So zombies are always a looming threat, whether it’s 10 years in the apocalypse or five months since the apocalypse. But the way my characters deal with that is that they work as a team. They train every day with simulations and real-life scenarios so that they don’t ever really become too docile to the threat. Because one zombie or a group of three zombies isn’t that terrifying, especially if they’re shamblers. But in a horde situation, you can get backed into a wall pretty damn easily. And regardless if they’re walking, you can’t really outrun that. You’re gonna get backed into their corner.

So I do like that steady balance of human relations, them growing and still learning. Even if they’ve lived with the zombies – them growing and learning and meeting new people, and then humans coming in to sort of disrupt that a little bit and forcing the characters out of their comfort zone. So, placing the characters out of their comfort zone brings an added layer of drama regardless of them fighting the same types of zombies. It’s still in a different environment, city, town, whatever. But I still think that adds that layer of drama of breaking the character out of their comfort zone.

RRX: I think you touched on something. Yes, the zombies are scary, but after being in that world long enough, you kind of get used to them, and the living human beings end up being the bigger problem. Do you have any of that in your writing?

ABS: I do. In my main series (it’s the Aftermath series), it’s set 10 or 11 years post what I call the collapse, which is a zombie outbreak. My character focuses on the town that she has found refuge in, but then an outside force comes in, disrupts everything, forces her out of her comfort zone, and she realizes that the zombies aren’t the only thing that she has to worry about. What disrupts her comfort zone is a higher evil, which is, you know, corruption. The origin of the outbreak itself, and people she thought she knew ending up being people she didn’t know at all, because people are deceiving, they can betray you. So I do have people being an outside strong entity to disrupt the flow of a character’s mundane, quaint life in the zombie apocalypse. So it’s never cozy.

RRX: One of the things that’s cool about the zombie genre is, as terrifying as that world is and the many dangers and threats that you have to navigate, there’s a sense of freedom. Because, even though they’re not deadly, think of all the things we have to navigate in our modern society that, when you’re in a zombie apocalypse, those don’t matter anymore. Nothing matters except survival. So in a way, there’s a big freedom to it all. Do you see that?

ABS: Oh yeah, 100%. My friends have asked me, “Do you prefer a zombie apocalypse or a 9-to-5 job?” And I picked the zombie apocalypse every time. I know it’s devastating. I’m not trying to take away from the devastating aspect of it or the death toll or anything like that. I know how heavy it is. Obviously … all I write are zombie books, and I understand the weight of it all. But when you’re put into that, it’s like when life gives you lemons, you have to make something out of those lemons, right? You have to look at it a little differently. There is a sense of freedom. You’re not waking up, having to worry about bills, taxes, anything like that. You’re waking up, and you’re kind of back to your roots of finding community, growing food, maintaining livestock, and sort of trading skills that are equal in value. To help each other out, rather than focusing on making money to afford something. Everyone’s kind of working together to sustain some sort of community, and you have camaraderie, and you have things like that. So it brings us, in my opinion, back like people. Back to their roots, and you understand that yes, it’s devastating, but at the same time, if you find a close-knit community, you can build something out of it. There’s still some hope in that situation.

 

 

More from Liam Sweeny…

Jesse Sample’s Freak of the Week “Send in the Acolytes”

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Jesse Sample’s Freak of the Week “Send in the Acolytes”

Jesse Sample’s Freak of the Week airs EVERY WEDNESDAY at 6pm Eastern ONLY on RadioRadioX.com

This is Jesse Sample. Something is coming to a head. I heard the phrase, “people talking past each other” and it stuck with me. I think there are times when I want my narrative, and I don’t care about what someone, who disagrees, thinks or feels. I know for a fact, I could make more times where I ask someone, “Hey. Can you break that down for me? How’d you get there?”

What happens when that someone who you disagree with is very close to you? Perhaps it’s a family member. What if this person changed my diapers? Would I be so bold as to call them a fool? They cared for me and tended to me when I was vulnerable. Could I afford the presence of mind to say, “Excuse me. I disagree with that. Can you show me how you got there?

In my experience, the times that I feel most righteous usually come right before I am proven undeniably wrong. And the times I am unsure, are where I can get the broadest perspective and hone in on the nuance. There are hills worth dying on but it’s important to make sure you got the right one.

Thanks to all of you tuned into RadioRadioX. This is the Freak of the Week, “Send in the Acolytes.”

Slang Bang Doodle – The Weird Side of the Internet

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Slang Bang Doodle – The Weird Side of the Internet

Slang Bang Doodle – The Weird Side of the Internet – by Liam Sweeny.

I like slang. I don’t care if it’s the slang of the forties or the slang of my forties, language is a lot of fun. I don’t police slang, if you got a ‘fire,’ I can give you a vintage ‘dig, man’ and move on with my day. But slang is a responsibility if you’re going to use it. Some slang is racist as hell, and you want to find that out before it comes out of your mouth (let’s pretend we talk to each other in the real world instead of keyboardin’ it [slang.]) I always look up new stuff.

There’s no way that language is ‘supposed to be.’ It flows from classrooms, off podiums through potheads in dorm rooms, road crews bored at five am on no sleep, running on Moxie. A collection of our words, phrases, and rules have merited permanent recognition, but they’re not it. There is no ‘it.’

I knew this guy Danny Ray, or Danny Ray Ray. He could come up with slang all day long. I don’t think he called anything by it’s real name. Is his slang not real? Of course not.

The world moves. Society moves, and sometimes in the mixing of everything you need a better word to describe i9t than what exists.

I said all that for a reason. I’m aura farming. I don’t think it’s good, but I figured, well, I’m aura farming. I am doing more than what I need to do to be cool. I’m flexing unnecessarily. I’m good enough as I am. Maybe.

I like “aura farming.” I’m going to look for it. But we should look at all the slang that’s come out in the past twenty years and see if any of it’s cool enough to recirculate.

Happy slanging my friendly peeps.

 

 

More from Liam Sweeny…

…2..3..4 – An Xperience Column

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…2..3..4 – An Xperience Column

…2..3..4 – An Xperience Column – by Chris Busone.

In its infancy, Rock & Roll was looked upon as a pox to the health and well-being of young people from sea to shining sea, when the seas actually shone and weren’t littered with the scattered remains of fishing boats. Its trance-inducing rhythms were meant to twist young minds into thoughts of growing their hair to unreasonable lengths, dancing with unbridled exuberance, turning on-tuning in, and defying their parents to the point that they contributed nothing to society or their 401(k)s. And God bless it; it did just that back then.

But as is the case with many things that start off innocent and pure, popularity and the promise of big money and dizzying fame can turn them into a big crap-flavored popsicle. But fear not, there’s still hard rockin’, honest, grab-you-by-the-privates, Rock & Roll out there if you look for it. So let’s look.

From the time Bill Haley and his Comets first rocked their way around the clock, and Elvis dippity-do’d his first pompadour, Rock & Roll has been moving minds and soothing souls with its driving beats and lyrics of angst and ecstasy alike. It was born of the blues, of that there can be no denying. In 1951, long before Haley and Presley, Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats cut “Rocket 88” at Sam Phillips’ joint, and it is widely thought of as the first time Rock & Roll was committed to wax. That track swings like I-dunno-what, and along with Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock” is credited as among the first songs Lennon and McCartney played together. So cool, off to a great start. But where are we today?

The Rock & Roll of the masses has lost that “living on the edge/nose permanently thumbed at the establishment” persona which it acquired as a birthright. If Rock & Roll were a person, and it probably is, it would be Elvis Presley. He is the perfect example of what Rock & Roll was, and what it can become when it’s not tended to properly. The Memphis wiggler scared the ever-lovin’ sh!t out of every parent in America when he hit the scene, only to be singing watered-down Hollywood pap in a hideous Hawaiian shirt a few scant years later. And that transformation sort of encapsulates the corporate aspect of Rock & Roll for me. From fearless rebel to jabroni in a goofy tiki-top. And all due to the aforementioned big bad dollars and famously famous fame.

But before this fiery sermon makes you think me a hair-sprayed, sweating-through-my-overpriced-suit, say-anything-to-get-a-piece-of-your-pension-check-televangelist, extolling the evils of soulless rock, let me present the faithful flock with a couple more examples to make my case. Turn to Page 12 in your hymnals.

The biggest corporate shill in the history of gluttonous glut, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is a running joke among those who have even a flicker of the fire left in them. Their inexcusable inclusions and exclusions are as legendarily hilarious as they are egregious. They refuse entrance to their sad little clubhouse to deserving artists of all genres of Rock & Roll. And why, you ask dear reader? Because the Hall wasn’t created to honor those they love. It was created to exclude those they don’t. Just like every other country club on the planet.

Take a second and let that sink in. I’ll wait.

Their most obvious oversights include Motorhead, the New York Dolls, Alice in Chains, Blue Öyster Cult, Dio, and Thin Lizzy on the harder side, and the Smiths, the Cure, Joy Division, and the Pixies on a more esoteric tip. And strangely, they offer no quarter to mainstream monsters like Huey Lewis and the News, Phil Collins, Stone Temple Pilots, Lenny Kravitz, Bryan Adams, and even the goddamn Carpenters. (And we’ve only just begun!) But they somehow saved a seat for balls-to-the-wall rockers like Whitney Houston, Donna Summer, and of course Dolly Parton (a lovely lady, but even she knew that was bullsh!t). But bigtime rock is not alone, my fellow worshippers, oh no.

Even rap, which was greeted with an even more caustic welcome than Rock & Roll when it emerged from the streets, has smoothed its edges in recent decades. Two of the most ferocious (and best) artists who led the way early on, Snoop Dogg and Ice-T, are now part of the mainstream zeitgeist for reasons other than their rhymes. Snoop is making butterscotch scones with Martha Stewart (“It’s a Motherf—in’ good thing!”), and Ice-T, who once had the entire country on edge when he released a tune called “Cop Killer,” has been playing (you guessed it) a cop on primetime network TV for the last 34 years and wants to sell you an extended warranty for your car.

So, what’s my point to all of this, if I even actually have one? It’s this next bit. The answer to the question, “Is there anywhere to find real-deal Rock & Roll of any kind anymore?” And the answer is a resounding … Hell Yes!

It’s local. Stay with me, I’m going somewhere with this, not just pounding my fists on the bar in one of those petulant posts to shame people out to local gigs.

Local artists still have that hot white flame inside of them that sets fire to everything they touch. Because there is no famously famous famey fame and rivers of ridiculous riches in their world. They do what they do for the love of the art. They do it because they have no choice but to do it, because it’s who they are, what they are, all that they are. The cliches about guitar players bringing $5,000 worth of gear and spending 20 bucks in gas to play a gig that pays $75 are funny, and absolutely f—ing true. It’s worth all the time, effort, practice, money, sweat, stress, and strain to ply your skills in front of a crowd, no matter the size. When you see a local artist, you’re looking at someone who is not in the least interested in the payday or payoff of their performance. Just art for art’s sake.

Ya know what, screw it, let me officially climb up on my bully pulpit and preach.

Yes, my children, that is where the true spirit of Rock & Roll lives on these days. Can I get a witness! Let it be known throughout the congregation that it endures in the hearts, the souls, the gritted teeth, the sweat-ridden hair matted to the foreheads of the players and artists who are in the local venues around you. Praise be, Chuck Berry! They are gutting it out night after night after non-corporate night for nothing more than the pure pleasure of creating. Those one or two “Sounds great, man” that you get after a set, and the handful of people in the crowd who know the words to your song. That’s our riches. That’s our payday. And I’ll take it all day long, every single time. Anytime and every time I get up on a local stage and count my way into another night of real-deal, from the Heart & Soul, Rock & Roll.

Here endeth the sermon, here endeth the lesson. Go in peace (to a local venue near you), 2…3…4

 

 

 

More from Chris Busone…

Umphrey’s McGee @ Empire Live, 2/5/2026

Timothy Reidy
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Umphrey’s McGee @ Empire Live, 2/5/2026

Umphrey’s McGee played Empire Live, and their light show was bouncing all that dance party.

Photography by Timothy Reidy.

More from Empire Live here …

 

Lithium – Epilogue – Xperience Fiction

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Lithium – Epilogue – Xperience Fiction

Lithium – Epilogue – Xperience Fiction – by Liam Sweeny.

Plastic capsules and powders pressed into discs and ovals and thin, oblong hexagons rested in Mel’s hand as he reached for his glass, half-filled with water from the night before. He took a breath, shoveled them into his mouth, and chased. They weren’t there long enough to put bitter on his palate. He took the glass into the kitchenette and swung around the counter into the living room.

The living room was decorated in old Hollywood and Sonoma desert, which was the catch of the day at Joaquin’s Thrift store down the street. Mel managed to completely outfit his apartment in under fifty dollars. That said, there wasn’t much, but he arranged everything to imitate minimalist design. And to be perfectly honest, the apartment wasn’t that big.

The Getty Center did help him secure the place as he waited for the Artist-in-Residency application. He had just gotten the acceptance letter in the mail the day before. It had been two months, almost to the day, since he left the hospital, and he knew of no greater miracle than the fact that he never went homeless in that two months.

Mel picked up the L.A. Times from the chair it shared with the New York Times. Each had an article about the Roy Miller in the Getty Center, and the artist who actually painted them. Mel’s whole life was out there then. And his father had finally tasted real fame, though probably not the way he’d ever want. Mel was getting calls from the art world, and his other paintings were starting to turn up. It made sense that Getty would accept him after all that, lest they lose him to another museum. Maybe even the Guggenheim.

Mel had to be careful about the fame, lest it go to his head. Bipolar put trouble in success, and he had to keep humble medically. Still, it would be good to shout joy from the rooftop.

He did have something to keep him down. When he had been in his apartment for a month, when he had stocked up on food and he was able to get internet, and thus, streaming services, he went to the address that Hope had given him. They told him that she didn’t live there anymore. No forwarding address. They could have been lying, thinking he was an abuser stalking her, but he handed them what she wrote. They could’ve checked it with her. Mel was sure she was gone, and it soured his stomach for a week.

But life had to go on. It didn’t stop for joys or personal conquests, and it didn’t stop for tragedies. Mel got dressed in the full-length mirror he picked up at Joaquin’s. He didn’t need to look in it; it was just superstition. It was going to be a big day. Arguably, the biggest day of his life. Every button had to be done, none loose. The tie he bought as a joke would get its use, and he struggled to tie the knot so that the tie wouldn’t flip on his shirt. Powder blue Oxford shirt and dark grey slacks provided by a charity group near the hospital. His hair was freshly cut by a neighbor who did everyone’s hair in the apartment for a fraction of what it costed out. Good, too.

He sat on the couch, trying not to sweat. He hoped the woman he was going to meet was nice. She likely wouldn’t be swayed by the news he’d garnered. That news was for the public, and she had a job to do. And his future relied on what she thought about him.

He wanted to eat, but he didn’t. He wanted to drink soda, but he didn’t do that, either. He decided to turn on the television to watch a science documentary, since he couldn’t afford cable news.

The doorbell buzzed. Mel felt a bead of sweat go down his neck. He got up and wrung his hands to get rid of nerves. He grabbed the door handle. Showtime.

“Mel Miler?” The woman asked.

“That’s me.”

“I’m Dierdre Simmons. I’m from Department of Family and Children’s Services, for your visit.” She moved to the side. “And I think you know Andy.”

 

More from Liam Sweeny…

Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys @ McGeary’s, 2/2/2026

Timothy Reidy
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Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys @ McGeary’s, 2/2/2026

For Groundhog Day, Jim Gaudet returned to McGeary’s with his Railroad Boys, this time as a five-piece.

Photography by Timothy Reidy.

More from Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys here …

Rob Skane: You Can’t Go Back

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Rob Skane: You Can’t Go Back

Rob Skane: You Can’t Go Back – by Rob Skane.

Listen to me for once. Life is a spiraling force moving through the universe, unencumbered by modular time concepts. I know this because I’m smart. I even went to community college, but there was confusion about something called a grade point average? I don’t know … Nonetheless, our rocknroll universe always follows the Arrow of Time, which means we move from order to disorder. Think of it like this – a guitar string can break, but it can’t un-break, you dig? Maybe I’m getting a little Ram Dass over here, but when I say “Be Here Now,”  I’m not referring to my least favorite Oasis LP.

God save the dream, we mean it man. Many of us wanted to be in a rocknroll band so badly that we let our boundaries, if we even knew what they were, be totally eroded. It happens, and there’s no shame there. Ricky Nelson let us know that it’s all right now, we learned our lesson well. He knew rocknroll bands are far from a Garden Party. We could have listened, but why would we? Experience is often the best teacher anyway. The School of Hard Knocks, the Boulevard of broken amps. If you know, you know. If you don’t, you’re about to find out.

I quote from the Book of Seger when I say, “I wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then.” Unless you get in with the right group of people, people with the same vision, people who you can hang with, people who have your back – unless that happens, your hopes of making cool music are often doomed. It’s happened to a lot of us. We get mixed up with toxic bandmates who were never really in our corner, although they did attempt to portray that grand illusion. You put up with it because you’re hoping they’ll go back to being the cool breeze guy they were when the band started. It never happens because they stay toxic forever.

Haven’t we all played music with a few people that, over time, we’ve grown to despise? Sometimes we put up with so much – literally suffering for the music, for opportunity just to play – that when we’re finally done, we are done. The rocknroll troll pretending to be your pal secretly fries your amp, and you’re stuck at a gig with a blown speaker. Let’s check that one off the list, kids – been there. This one time (not at band camp), someone gave away my PA system without asking. Several months later, they justified it by telling me they knew I wouldn’t have minded. We all have those stories, and I’m sure that we’re all grateful that we’ve never engaged in that kind of behavior.

Being in a band can be like dating four people at once, the rock n roll version of ethical non-monogamy, I suppose. It’s safe to assume that there are times when you don’t share the bond with some people that you think you do. And that speaks more to their level of character than it does to yours. You were probably used as a tool so they could play gigs and get their rocks off. A lot of us just wanted to write songs and be in a band with people who were into the tunes. Sometimes we’re fools too long, and we have it figured out all wrong.

You might have gone back a time or two because you wanted to believe that people can change. I did too. Different people, different projects – always the same result: it got weird, and I split. It starts out with visions of sugar plums, but it never works in the long term. I’ve actually experienced it getting worse the second or third time around. Understand this: when people devalue you, it’s because they know they are the ones with no value. Yet, they always try to come back around, often smelling like smoke from the bridges they’ve burned. Banking on your ability to forgive and forget, all the while remembering how they carved you up when they thought you didn’t know – they’ll whisper sweet nothings into your one good ear, hoping to get back into your good graces.

Promise me, but more importantly, promise yourself that you won’t fall for it. When it happens – and it will – walk and don’t look back. Moving forward feels great, because … well, you know. Feed your head, write your songs, find your people, and rock on. You can do great things, my babies!!  And you will. I assure you. Now, go … while you can.

 

 

 

More from Rob Skane…

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