REVIEW: So Long, SingleCut North!
12/13 @ SingleCut North, Clifton Park
All photos by Tom Miller
“On Saturday, December 13 a six-band lineup packed with local favorites was focused on raising the SingleCut jersey into the local music rafters and sending them off into the sunset with a party for the ages...”
SingleCut North, we hardly knew ye. Wait, that’s not right...
While the beloved local taproom venue in Clifton Park has punctuated a run that will forever be known as timeless yet too brief, the local scene had not only come to know Corey, Teresa, and the rest of the team quite well but also came to love them and the welcoming atmosphere that they created. Throughout the eras, the 518 music scene has seen many a beloved venue shut its doors for one reason or another, and the veterans who were there for the last notes at places like Gugs in Glens Falls, Saratoga Winners, and Valentine’s in Albany will tell you that it never gets any easier to lose a great spot for local music. On Saturday, December 13 a six-band lineup (!) packed with local favorites was focused on raising the SingleCut jersey into the local music rafters and sending them off into the sunset with a party for the ages for their annual Holiday Hootenanny.
Speaking of Corey, it was his band Sad Dads kicking off the festivities with Die Hard playing in the background, getting us all asking the age-old question: Is it pop punk, or is it emo? Who cares, because everyone was immediately having a great time! Sad Dads brings a 2000s/2010s-era house party to the stage, complete with a Fireball Party Bucket full of handy dandy, single-serve bottles for easy access. Frontman Andrew Beam is a cascading ball of hair and energy, reminding me of if Sonic the Hedgehog fronted blink-182. During a rousing rendition of Fidlar’s “Cheap Beer,” he stood on the bar emphatically leading the crowd in the chanting of the defiant chorus and taking us all back to our outlaw punk rock roots. In this band, virtually everyone gets in on the backing vocals which gives a big boost to the band’s presence on stage, which is nothing but high-octane non stop. They’ve truly cemented their place as one of the premier punk rock cover bands around the Capital Region, and they brought the noise in a big way with a performance that no one in their right mind would want to have to follow.
If any band were up to that task, it’s that scrappy bunch of surf punks clad in matching white turtlenecks: The Sugar Hold, who lead the league in having fun. They launched into their typical high-energy, banter-filled set with “TV Screen,” as promised by frontman Mikey Baish during a recent podcast appearance where he disclosed they almost always open with the high-octane surf rocker. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more in touch with their act complete with synchronized outfits and occasionally even dance moves, but it’s far from all pomp and no circumstance as they filled the taproom with timeless yet nostalgic music. Their stage presence is one of the most entertaining around and the crowd buys in as evidenced by their singalong on the band’s recent single, “Ooh La La.” The band closed out their set with “Motorcycle Boy” which included a Sugar Hold staple when bassist Matt Malone took a lap through the SingleCut crowd.
E.R.I.E. took the stage next, providing their perfect mix of angst and attitude with a set that spanned their catalog to include some of the best tracks from their last two releases. Suburban Mayhem’s “Can’t Stop Runnin’” and “burn out” from The Highs, The Lows, and Everything In Between were fan favorites that got everybody singing along. They made it a point to call out and pay tribute to the entire SingleCut team and emphasized the level of care and respect that they’ve always displayed to the bands and artists that have performed there, which anyone who’s stepped foot on their stage could attest to. Given that it was the Holiday Hootenanny, they also busted out one of the most unique and entertaining versions of a holiday song I’ve ever heard with a progressively building and intense version of the theme from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. “Bad Man’s World” brought a poignant end to their set, and was made complete with a surprise cameo appearance by the band’s original lead guitarist, Matt Delgado, who emerged to crash the stage from the crowd like a pro wrestling invasion angle.
With that, we reached halftime in our jam-packed evening with three bands remaining, and up next were the band that I and many others in the crowd were least familiar with: the Bronx’s own Durieux. They endeared themselves to the audience right away with an enticing mix of funk, soul, R&B, and jazz fusion with just enough rock n’ roll for a dash of flavor. They had everyone in the crowd moving, grooving, and singing along with a stage presence that invited everyone to feel like a part of the energy. A soulful vocal performance showcased both broad range and raw power that filled every inch of the taproom’s high ceilings, and their virtuoso-level musicianship earned them an encore. They promptly served up an excellent take on “Hotline Bling” that sent the crowd into the next set on an energetic high.
That led us to the penultimate set of the evening from Schuylerville’s own ShortWave RadioBand during which everyone was firmly in their feelings. It really began setting in that we were drawing ever nearer to the culmination of years of great events. Bassist/Vocalist Andy Scullin noted just how much ShortWave RadioBand in particular would miss the venue, as it had played host to his annual birthday celebration (affectionately known as “Andypalooza”) for the last several years. The band prepared a set that included lots of fan favorite originals like “Yellow” written by guitarist/vocalist Ryan Shaw and the gritty anthem “Shorts and a Hoodie” written by guitarist/vocalist Lonny Eaton accompanying the very first original song the band ever wrote, “Don’t Care.” Perhaps the most striking thing about ShortWave (aside from their chemistry and engaging stage presence) is their flexibility. Abby Stone adds lead vocals on some tracks as well as bringing trumpet into the mix with John Woods on drums, rounding out a lineup where almost every member is at least a dual threat playing multiple instruments and taking the lead on certain songs. They also incorporated more covers in this set than I’d seen them play at a show previously, including crowd-pleasing bangers like blink-182’s “Edging,” the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” and a set-closing performance of Semisonic’s “Closing Time” that was emotionally dedicated to the venue with Scullin quipping, “I might start to cry any second!” There may have been some moist sets of eyes, but everyone continued to hold it together for now.
With that, the time had come for the very last set at SingleCut North. Everyone’s favorite Killers tribute band The Battenkillers emerged, with the Jive Hive’s notorious NGB himself, Nick Baish, in tow setting up an electric grill and cooking up some hot dogs (which he would wrap in foil and toss into the crowd throughout the set, not unlike the hype staff tossing out T-shirts at an NBA game, complete with appropriate sound effects from synth player Ryan McCalla). Powering their way through a smorgasbord of the band’s greatest hits from across their career including “Smile Like You Mean It” from Hot Fuss, “When You Were Young,” “Read My Mind” and “Bones” from Sam’s Town, and “The Man” from Wonderful Wonderful just to name a few while subverting expectations by playing perhaps the biggest Killers hit of all, “Mr. Brightside”, second! They moved from song to song performing each with tender loving care, accomplishing what every tribute band sets out to do: honor the original material while finding a way to make it completely their own. For the last song of the night, the band mentioned all the ways this place had been special to them throughout the years, shouting out Corey and Teresa one last time before inviting anyone in attendance who’d ever played a show on the SingleCut stage to join them for the finale. This led to an ensemble performance during the outro of “All These Things That I’ve Done” in which many performers in the audience jam-packed the stage to pour every ounce of their voices into the choir in an explosive conclusion that rivaled any fireworks display.
It was a triumphant ending to not just an excellent show, but an excellent place to see a show in the 518. As the very last notes rang out through the taproom, performers and the audience began to embrace and say their last goodbyes to a room that has been nothing short of a home away from home for so many in this scene. As the last of the equipment was loaded off the stage and the last post-show beers were poured in the SingleCut North taproom, many reminisced and reflected on moments like tonight that will live forever in the story of 518 music. As for all of us who know and love them, we all hope it's only a matter of time before we get to see Corey and Sweet T again.
