From the mailbag: Code Red rocks like it’s still the ’70s and ’80s

The guys in Syracuse rock band Code Red love the stage. So front man Gary Dunes and mates Chris Russo, Ed Steele and Steve Steele decided to put out a live CD. Dunes thoughtfuly dropped one in the mail for me. The self-titled production was recorded at various shows around Central New York by Live…

Bethel Woods to honor life of Woodstock opener Richie Havens on Aug. 18

Come the middle of August, the thoughts of a generation that strung together the words peace, love and music forever turn toward a grassy field in upstate New York. Woodstock. In Bethel, N.Y. Where dozens of bands and hundreds of thousands of young people gathered at Max Yasgur’s farm. The festival that became legend through…

Benny Mardones proves that the upcoming new album is named just right in many ways

One good look around the grounds at Sharkey’s Eclectic Sports Lounge in Liverpool, N.Y., Saturday proved that the spirit for Benny Mardones lives. Inside and out. The Syracuse area still brings out the best in Benny. Get him up on stage with his band the Hurricanes in Central New York, and rock ‘n’ roll happens…

Benny Mardones and Syracuse continue their wild ride at Sharkey’s

The first time I came face-to-face with Benny Mardones was in the lobby of the big daily. Roll the calendar back to 1991, the year I’d made the switch from the sports department to covering music and entertainment. I’d talked to the rocker on the phone for a big piece to preview his show at…

In LA, Syracuse native Jamie Cunningham strives for a perfect ‘anthemic rock’ show

Jamie Cunningham moved to Los Angeles in the fall of 2011, but his hometown of Syracuse is never too far from his mind. Cunningham went west to attend the Guitar Performance program at the Musician’s Institute. And he met some like-minded players to start the band The Fire & The Phoenix. Cunningham writes the songs,…

Curiosity, perseverance earn Maka Rouge a spot in Manhattan-based ‘The Song Is Born’ competition

Maka Rouge was surfing, working on her passion. Online research was part of the Syracuse native’s regime to become a better songwriter and performer. On this day in mid-June, Mary Katherine Rusyniak — performance name Maka Rouge is a combination of real-life — came upon a site titled “The Song Is Born.” “It was a…

From the mailbag: Acoustic fun with Dick Ward and Carol Bryant; insane Granny; K-Rockathon nears sell-out

Rarely does a promo picture make me smile like this one. Dick Ward and his lovely bride, Carol Bryant, look so darn happy, don’t they? A nicer pair you’ll never meet. The Elbridge couple can make some pretty sweet music as an acoustic duo on stage, too. Ward reports that they’ll perform at 7:30 p.m.…

With Nashville success growing, Cassidy Lynn brings her country sound back home for Central New York shows

Cassidy Lynn may soon reach a crossroads with her music. Her new EP has caught the attention of folks in Nashville because of its big sound with a full band. Other people in the music industry are telling her that it might not be long before a high profile artist records one of the songs…

Sharkapalooza proves that all it takes around Syracuse is a short drive for a great night

The setting: A delightfully just-right early evening in mid-July, the sort of night where everybody starts every encounter with a smile for the mere reason that a blanket of heat and humidity has finally peeled back from its two-week hold on summer 2013 in Syracuse. The place: Sharkey’s Eclectic Sports Bar, the set-back-from-the-road joint in…

A new T-shirt stirs me to pick my personal top 100 bands I’ve seen in concert

My dear daughter Elisabeth gave me a great T-shirt yesterday. It proudly proclaims: “I May Be Old But I’ve Seen All the Good Bands.” I will wear it proudly. I am indeed, from the vantage point of my 23-year-old offspring, old. I have also seen many, many good bands. Not all, though. I never saw…