Introducing “DAYTRIPPER”

I have an addiction. Since my mother brought me to my first concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center when I was ten years old, I have been addicted to live music.  The rush of adrenaline that hits when the house lights go down and the crowd erupts in anticipation never gets old. I have lost track of how many concerts I have been to since that day in 1986, but a conservative estimate would be around five or six hundred concerts. 

My musical tastes have always been wide ranging.  Growing up in the 80’s with a cool older sister, I was turned onto heavy metal.  Through some girlfriends that were cooler than I was, I was turned onto bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode.  MTV exposed me to Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Run DMC, The Fat Boys and Kool Moe Dee.   I discovered punk when I was a skate-rat, looking at the T-shirts that my favorite skaters were wearing.  Up until I was about 17-years-old I would say that I listened to “everything but country.”  Then I heard Travis Tritt and I became a HUGE fan of country music.

I went to every show that I could get to. God bless my parents for driving me to Knickerbocker Arena, Glens Falls Civic Center or RPI Fieldhouse and dropping me off to see bands like Metallica, Motley Crue, Pantera and Nine Inch Nails.  Thank God that my parents never took the time to listen to the music beforehand, otherwise I don’t imagine I would have been allowed to go.  I am so thankful for my sister, who took her dorky little brother to see bands like ZZ Top and Aerosmith.

Aside from the concert itself, I always loved the trip to the show.  The best conversations were had on those rides, cranking the radio and getting amped for the night’s concert. As I got older, the roadtrips got longer.  I started making the drive out to Boston, Philly, and beyond to catch bands that weren’t coming to the Capital District.  The ride was almost as fun as the show itself.

I have always loved photography as well.  A few years ago I decided to combine these two passions.  I went out and bought the best camera I could afford, spent countless hours watching YouTube videos about photography and started shooting photos of local bands.  Bands like Skeeter Creek gave me access to their shows in exchange for photos.  It was a win-win situation.  Then I discovered Nippertown.  The photography of Jim Gilbert really grabbed my attention.  At the time he was shooting a band called Jesus Christ and the Hallucinogenic All Stars.  I really liked his style of photography, so I reached out to him.  Most concert photographers that I have run into can be standoffish, keeping their skills close to the vest.  Jim was the polar opposite of this.  He gave me great advice and pointed me in the right direction.  Before long I was shooting concerts in the Capital District for Nippertown.  I was still taking long roadtrips to see concerts, but I wasn’t photographing them.

I found that I wasn’t the only person who loves the concert roadtrip.  I started seeing the same faces popping up at shows from Saratoga to Hartford to Syracuse.  It occurred to me that I could marry my love of concerts, roadtrips and photography into something new. I am starting a series of concert reviews here at Nippertown that I am calling “DAYTRIPPER.”  I am going to highlight tours that aren’t making it within the one hour radius that I consider Nippertown proper.  I will preview shows that I think you all might like to see.  Other Nippertown staff members are on board for this as well.  Look for Daytripper articles from Nick Dicocco and others.

I am starting these shows this Friday when I take the two and a half hour drive out to The Vine at del Lago Casino in Waterloo, NY for a reunion show of 1980’s metal legends Dokken.  Original guitarist George Lynch will be opening the show with his band Lynch Mob. Lynch usually joins Dokken on stage for three songs during the headlining set. I haven’t seen this band since the 80’s, so I am excited to relive a little piece of my youth.  I am just as excited for the drive with my girlfriend in the shotgun seat. The long drives seem so much shorter with great conversations and with her playing DJ.  She also keeps me awake on the inevitable drive home. I am bringing my sister along for this trip.  I owe so much of my love of music to her and I can’t wait to catch up with her.

The following week I will head to Wallingford, CT for a sold out show by country music sensation HARDY on Thursday.  Saturday I make my way to The Academy of Music in Northampton, MA for a double bill of singer-songwriters Matt Nathanson and Stephen Kellogg.  On Sunday, for good measure I will make the drive down to Daryl’s House in Pawling, NY for another Nathanson/Kellogg gig.  If you haven’t been to Daryl’s House yet, check out the website, pick a show and go.  There isn’t another venue around like it.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading these articles as much as I enjoy writing them.  Perhaps I can persuade some of you to hit the road and catch a show away from home. You can thank me later.