Photo Gallery: “Grapplin’ Greg Premiere” with Eastbound Jesus / Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets @ Palace Theatre/The Hollow, 12/17/2022

By Tammie Birdwell On Dec 18, 2022

ALBANY – There are thousands of reasons to love living in Nippertown. However, if you are a fan of live music, one man has made the area one of the best places for live music in the entire country — Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions. And last night, hundreds of us gathered at the Palace Theatre to celebrate this remarkable man and thank him for making Albany the place to be for live music.

Greg Bell and Frankie Cavone (photo by Tammie Birdwell)

Eastbound Jesus

To get everyone warmed up, the band who wrote the song “Grappling Greg,” Eastbound Jesus, played a set. Sadly, they were short two members but made up for it with a couple of sit-ins including Laura Leigh and Geoff Macquery. Even without two key band members, Eastbound Jesus did not disappoint. Their heartfelt set was the perfect warmup for the documentary to follow.

Frankie Cavone & Mirth Films

Frankie Cavone of Mirth Films is known as one of the best concert photographers and videographers in the upstate area. So, while Grappling Greg was a departure from his usual work — as it was his very first full-length documentary, it was an absolute masterpiece. From start to finish, it was informative, heartfelt, and at times hilarious. As I happen to be a transplant to the area, it was a delight to learn what went down before I arrived.

Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets (photo by Tammie Birdwell)

Dr. Jah & The Love Prophets

In true Greg Bell style, the party didn’t end when the movie did — it simply moved locations. We all kept the party going with Dr. Jah & The Love Prophets at The Hollow. The only word that comes to mind when attempting to describe the after-party is “extravaganza.” There were so many sit-ins, there were up to a dozen people on stage at some points. We even got to see Greg Bell himself join the band to sing along for a while.

Other sit-ins included: Terry Lynch and Chris Fisher (Conehead Budda), Chuck Valentine (Schoolbus Yellow, Nymbis), Tom Pirozzi (Ominous Seapods), Laura Leigh, Chanda Dewey & Jeff Picarazzi (Glass Pony), Rob Balu, Andy Morris, and Scott Gultonhi. The band played for hours and the energy remained through the roof.

The entire evening was a wonderful time that felt much like a family reunion — except one where everyone actually gets along. Check out our full gallery below.