Eastbound Jesus ready for Black Friday ‘superjam’
COHOES, N.Y. » Northern rockers Eastbound Jesus are playing a post-holiday show this Friday at Cohoes Music Hall.
The Greenwich- based band, joined by opener Floodwood, will perform a special Black Friday “superjam,” an all-ages 8 p.m. concert on Friday at the historic hall, located at 58 Remsen St. in Cohoes. Doors will open at 7 p.m.
This will not be the first time the local group and Capital Region favorite has graced the music hall’s stage. Last year Eastbound Jesus was the opening act for Amy Helm, daughter of The Band’s late Levon Helm.
While Eastbound Jesus brought in a large crowd of its own, the band also won over many new fans with that performance.
Eastbound Jesus drummer and vocalist Carl Anderson is glad the band is returning to the Cohoes venue. “Its an awesome theater. It’s such a cool place to play,” he said. “It’s exciting to be on that stage. It certainly an awesome spot. Acoustically it sounds great and everything - it’s definitely a great spot to play.”
Anderson said the guys in the band knew they had to come back after they performed at the hall for the Amy Helm show, and they’re looking forward to headlining a show this time around.
Eastbound Jesus has gained a dedicated following over the years, who can be found singing every word and dancing together at every show. But for those that may not know the music, the band provides a sound with layers of vocal harmonies wrapped around well- crafted songs that have an ability to feel instantly familiar.
When the weather gets a colder, Eastbound Jesus becomes a perfect soundtrack - the members do call their blend of musical styles Northern Rock after all. Currently, Eastbound Jesus is in the midst of making a new album, following up on its 2015 release called Hollerin’. “It’s been a little bit, so we’re champing at the bit to get some new material out,” Anderson said. “We’re closing in on it.”
Since its last Cohoes appearance, the band has put together two successful installments of their two- day festival Eastbound Throwdown, which takes place during September in Salem, while still finding time to play a bunch of shows in between.
Over the last several years the groups has played sold out concerts at many area venues, but this will be the first time the band headlines the Cohoes Music Hall.
For this special occasion, Eastbound Jesus has invited its friend in Floodwood to open the night. With members from Utica to Saratoga, Floodwood takes traditional styles of bluegrass and Americana and makes them sound new. As a progressive string band these artists make the music fresh and exciting while paying homage to sounds that make up the heart of American music.
This is what makes these two bands a perfect match for a chilly late autumn night in an beautiful space that’s rich with history, on a weekend where people are back home for the holiday, feeling thankful for their roots and enjoying a collective festive spirit.
“We’ve played a lot of Thanksgiving Eve, day before Thanksgiving shows, which is apparently crazy - but I think this is good too. Especially, we’re getting older now - people want to take it easy and be able to eat Thanksgiving without being hungover,” Anderson said, adding that the hall is a good venue for both older and younger underage crowds, as it’s not super late and it’s not a crazy bar scene. “It’s more of a widespread audience,” he said. “Your grandma can come as well as your buddies.”
Tickets to Friday’s show are available online at palacealbany. org or by phone at 518- 465- 4663.
Tickets can also be purchased the night of the show at the venue box office.
General admission floor tickets cost $25 each, and seated floor and balcony tickets cost $22 each.
More information about Eastbound Jesus is available online at eastboundjesus.com.