New York, NY (TOP40 Charts/ Artist Official website) -- Following a wave of favorable coverage in recent months, rock band Rich Pagano + the sugarCane cups is pleased to announce their first-ever �electric� concerts, as they celebrate their eponymous debut CD with an April 30th show at City Winery in New York. The band will also play Mirelle's in Westbury, LI on June 11th, and will appear at the Maplewoodstock
Music and Art Festival in Maplewood, NJ on July 10th. Additional dates will be announced soon.
�Timeless, Well-Constructed Rock� -- As Seen in Elmore Magazine, Blurt, Entertainment Weekly.com, FOX-TV�s Good Day NY, Modern Drummer, Glide, The CW Network, MassLive and more
�Rich Pagano + the sugarCane cups� Plan First Electric Concerts, as Debut CD Continues to Earn Raves
Pagano is a �real workhorse of this industry...who truly live(s) and breathe(s) rock �n� roll�
�Pagano is a revered musical figure, way beyond his New York City home, and that was before this most impressive solo album�
Pagano is featured in the May/June issue of ELMORE Magazine, where he is praised as �a real star of rock �n� roll,� and as a �workhorse of this industry.� Here�s a clickable link to the article: https://www.elmoremagazine.com/issues/2010/05/get-a-grip.html. BLURT Magazine raved that the band�s CD was �among the best albums you�ll hear in 2009.� Other reviews have described Pagano as �a revered musical figure� and have called the CD �an original and creatively exciting work,� and �timeless, well-constructed rock.� Clickable links follow below to coverage including FOX-TV�s GOOD DAY NY, The CW NETWORK, MODERN DRUMMER Magazine, Entertainment Weekly.com, MASSLive, SONICSCOOP, Spotlight Long Island and more.
See the band�s new music video for the track �Change Your Mind� (directed by NY fashion photographer Carl Scheffel):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giEJf49Y9Cg
CONCERT DETAILS:
An All-Star band will join Rich Pagano: Andy York (John Mellencamp); John Conte (Rosanne Cash); Rob Bailey (Gavin DeGraw); Kevin Bents (Donald Fagen)
April 30 - City Winery in NYC
rich pagano + the sugarCane cups??Electric Band CD release show
7:30 p.m. SHARP
Opener: new artist Natalie Mishell, currently being produced by Rich Pagano for a winter 2010 debut release, will perform at 7PM.
https://www.citywinery.com/events/62702
https://www.citywinery.com/cart?product_id=62702
June 11th - Mirelle's on Long Island
rich pagano + the sugarCane cups perform the debut record and other songs that influenced the record's songwriting, from The Band to The Who to Peter Gabriel
Featuring: Andy York, John Conte, Rob Bailey and Kevin Bents
9PM
170 Post Ave
Westbury, NY 11590
For show info contact [email protected]
July 10th - Maplewoodstock Music and Art Festival
Maplewood, NJ 7/10
Additional details will be announced soon
https://maplewoodstock.com/
The 12-song collection �Rich Pagano + the sugarCane cups' is a classic influenced rock and roll record of angst and escapism, which evokes soaring comparisons to The Beatles, solo Pete Townsend, Plastic Ono Band, Levon Helm and more, and marks the solo debut of Pagano, a respected New York sideman known for his expertise in producing, recording or playing drums live, with artists including Patti Smith, Rosanne Cash, Robbie Robertson, Ray Davies, Willie Nile, gospel icon Marie Knight, Joan Osborne, Levon Helm, Mott The Hoople legend Ian Hunter and the premier Beatles band The Fab Faux, among others. Pagano�s album features a Who�s Who of guest artists, ranging from Phish�s Trey Anastasio (lead guitar) to David Johansen (harmonica) to Hunter and Nile (both as guest vocalists) and more.
RP + SCC recently served as the House Band and featured artist, with Pagano as Musical Director, as The Music of The Who was celebrated at Carnegie Hall. Read the review by Jon Pareles, here: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/arts/music/04who.html
Earlier this month, Pagano spearheaded hometown efforts for a Fab Faux Benefit Concert at West Babylon Elementary School, which had been leveled by a fire.
GOOD DAY NY (FOX-TV) appearance:
https://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/091119-rich-pagano-the-sugar-cane-cups
Watch the CW NETWORK/WGN-TV clips here:
https://www.wgntv.com/news/liveperformances/wgntv-live-music-rich-pagano,0,700720.story
MASSLIVE - 3.5 Star CD review
By Kevin O�Hare
He�s the drummer for the Fab Faux, the greatest Beatles� cover band that ever hit the stage. He�s worked with artists ranging from Patti Smith and Rosanne Cash to Willie Nile, Robbie Robertson and Ray Davies. Rich Pagano is a revered musical figure, way beyond his New York City home, and that was before this most impressive solo album. Laced in pop, straight arrangements and Pagano�s hearty vocals, it is bolstered by some fine writing, most of which he penned himself and a couple of which he worked on with his mates. The troubling �Goodbye Anna,� is a standout, as is �Nine Lives,� and �Change Your Mind,� among several others. That�s Ian Hunter lending vocals to �Whiskey, Pills, Pornography,� Nile chiming in on �Goodbye Anna,� and a bevy of other serious contributors, including Trey Anastasio, David Johansen, GE Smith, Andy York and all the members of the Fab Faux. They all offer stellar contributions but the disc is still undeniably Pagano�s showcase, which goes to prove that yes indeed, great drummers can also produce rock solid solo albums. - Kevin O'Hare, Masslive.com https://blog.masslive.com/playback/2009/11/leona_lewis_soars_norah_jones.html
GLIDE MAGAZINE INTERVIEW: https://www.glidemagazine.com/hiddentrack/interview-rich-pagano-sideman-to-solo/
SONIC SCOOP FEATURE:
https://www.sonicscoop.com/2010/01/05/beyond-the-fab-faux-rich-pagano-gauxs-solaux/
MODERN DRUMMER FEATURE: https://www.hi-fidelitymusic.com/richpagano/press/mdsept09.pdf
https://www.moderndrummer.com/web_exclusive/900001164
ELMORE MAGAZINE CD REVIEW: https://www.elmoremagazine.com/reviews/album_pagano_sugarcane.html
FEATURE IN NEW ISSUE OF ELMORE!
https://www.elmoremagazine.com/issues/2010/05/get-a-grip.html
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Phish's Trey Anastasio plays guitar on Rich Pagano's 'You Want to Stay High': An EW exclusive stream By Simon Vozick-Levinson
Trey Anastasio has been pretty busy lately, what with the whole reuniting-Phish thing. That doesn�t mean he can�t still make a little time here and there for the right side project � like playing lead guitar on �You Want to Stay High,� a song by Rich Pagano + the sugarCane cups. Anastasio is just one of the stars recruited by Pagano, best known as the drummer for Beatles cover band the Fab Faux, for his new project�s self-titled debut. Others who contributed to the album, due next month, include Mott the Hoople�s Ian Hunter and New York Dolls� David Johansen. But with Phish back on fans� minds this summer, the Anastasio collab is definitely the buzziest. Right now, the Music Mix is the only place where you can hear the classic-rock groove that Anastasio and Pagano cooked up together. So give �You Want to Stay High� a free listen below, then let us know: How do you like those electric licks? https://music-mix.ew.com/category/rich-pagano/
SPOT ON LONG ISLAND � 4/10 FEATURE:
https://spotonli.com/2010/04/fab-fauxs-rich-pagano/
BLURT MAGAZINE
8 Star (out of 10) CD review
https://www.blurt-online.com/reviews/view/1536/
A general rule of thumb in rock 'n' roll is that auxiliary band members (i.e. drummers, bassists) and sidemen (ditto) shouldn't even attempt to record solo albums. The cut-out bins and used record stores of yore had shelves littered with examples of poor major label decisions (Bloody Egg Yolk are a BIG band, so it follows that the bassist's solo album, recorded in his basement with his wife and next door neighbor, should be HUGE!). Sure, there are exceptions to every rule, no matter how many lamebrained rockcrits say it's so, but for every stellar effort from a Ringo Starr or John Entwistle, there are a hundred crappers rotting on the store shelves from Keith Moon, Tommy Lee, and (too many) others. Really, can you imagine a Lars Ulrich solo album, even in your worst nightmares? Eewww, wot a stinker that one would be!
Rich Pagano is a major exception to the aforementioned rule. A former member of the late-�90s alt-pop outfit Marry Me Jane, in the ensuing years Pagano has become the skinman of choice for every pop-rock genius and street-smart rock 'n' roll idol to come down the pike, from Patti Smith and Willie Nile to Ray Davies and Ian Hunter, among many others. Performing and recording with a diverse range of talents has honed Pagano's skills to a surgical precision, yet his drumming retains the unpredictability of spontaneity. It's with this musical background that Pagano steps into a spotlight of his own with the sorta self-titled Rich Pagano + the sugarCane cups, his debut album.
Right off the bat, let's agree that Pagano is no poetic dilettante or wannabe wordsmith, but rather an impressive songwriter with a grasp of the language, imagination, and something to say...my guess is that Rich was paying attention when working with notable writers like Hunter and Nile. As such, Rich Pagano + the sugarCane cups provides a rich lyrical experience, Pagano venting his spleen on such heady subjects as suicide (the darkly beautiful "Rearview St. Jude"); addiction and its effects on relationships ("You Want To Stay High"); and the frustrations of the working man ("Nine Lives").
Musically, Rich Pagano + the sugarCane cups is a curious hybrid of classic rock and 1970s-era progressive rock, with a few folkish traits thrown in for good measure. Pagano doesn't particularly wear his influences on his sleeve like some artists, but they're certainly haunting these grooves, and you can pick out elements of John Lennon's solo work, the Beatles, the Band and Levon Helm, and other sources among the blazing guitars and gospel-tinged keys. As for the aforementioned proggish tendencies, Pagano might not even realize that they're here, but you can hear 'em in the thick arrangements, instrumental virtuosity, and swooping musical landscapes that surround his whipsmart lyrics, scraps of Yes, the Strawbs, and Genesis ringing as clear as a bell.
Pagano's backing musos, the "sugarCane cups," are an all-star collection of the best and the brightest that NYC has to offer, with guitarists Andy York, Steve Conte, and Jack Petruzzelli, along with keyboardist Jeff Kazee shouldering the heavy loads, while various name-brand talents like Trey Anastasio, Ian Hunter, Willie Nile, and David Johansen drop by to lend a hand. Recorded in bits-and-pieces over the course of a year, Pagano used whatever friendly collaborators that he could rope into a session, but the results are surprisingly uniform, with the obviously inspired participants leaving behind some good work when they walked out the door.
As a result, Rich Pagano + the sugarCane cups is an album that looks forward towards the future while gazing longingly towards the past. Pagano's rough-hewn vocals are a welcome throwback to the pre-Pro Tools era, glorying in their warm authenticity and sometimes ragged emotion, while his percussion work sits comfortably behind his fellow players, rising now and then in the mix to add an invigorating blast of energy.
An original and creatively exciting work, Pagano's solo debut is a modern-sounding collection with a contemporary edge that still wouldn't have sounded terribly out-of-place in, say, 1975. This is timeless, well-constructed rock music, and Pagano deserves every column-inch of critical accolades that he'll receive for the album. Even if he doesn't garner the ink spilled on undeserving, trendier artists, it won't change the inconvenient truth that Rich Pagano + the sugarcane cups is among the best albums that you'll hear in 2009. You can believe it 'cause the Reverend says so! Standout Tracks: "You Want To Stay High," "Ariel's Return," "Change Your Mind" REV. KEITH A. GORDON
Ken Dashow, Legendary New York DJ, Q104 FM said, Pagano "...takes his Fab Faux magic and extends it to his first solo release...I love the songs."
More about Rich Pagano:
After years of working behind the scenes to make memorable music for and with some of the industry's most revered artists, Pagano has stepped into the spotlight, and cites an array of influences on his acclaimed CD, from John Lennon�s �Walls and Bridges� rehearsal demos to Pete Townsend�s �Lifehouse� demos...from Levon Helm to Free to Peter Gabriel.
Themes of quiet frustration and futility emerge, on lush tracks such as �Nine Lives� and �Everything�s Alright�. Suicide is referenced in 'Rearview St. Jude,' social excess is addressed in both 'You Want To Stay High' (featuring Trey Anastasio) and 'Whiskey Pills Pornography' (featuring Ian Hunter,) and religious freedom is woven throughout 'Peace and Tranquility'. As for the album�s fluctuation from gritty performances to codeine cocktail moods, Pagano comments, "since the whole record was recorded on the borders of Hell's Kitchen and midtown in New York City, the energy of my neighborhood is clearly reflected. The music both dirty, hard, and floatingly cerebral."
For the CD, Pagano assembled a band which represents the best in New York's 'Community of Musicians', and includes Andy York (John Mellencamp), GE Smith, Brian Mitchell (Bob Dylan), David Johansen, Steve Conte (New York Dolls), Chris Seefried, John Conte (Rosanne Cash), Jeff Kazee (Southside Johnny), Tony Shanahan (Patti Smith, David Gray), all the members of The Fab Faux (Will Lee, Jimmy Vivino, Frank Agnello and Jack Petruzzelli) and more.
Pagano performs lead vocals on all tracks, says his solo songwriting emerged from a tumultuous period in his life. From watching 9/11 first hand, to alcohol and opiate issues that surround him�from bad business deals to political disappointments and other levels of temptation, his debut collection chronicles a whirlwind episode of desperation and emotional extremes: "These songs are a bloodletting. Some people find religion, join a racket club or get divorced to save themselves. I decided to lock myself in my studio for a year.�
As Pagano experienced, a recording studio can be a magical place. His New Calcutta Studio became a setting where rock and roll, blues and songwriting were the parameters for everything coming in and going out. Suddenly all of Pagano's favorite musicians were on hand to help out � in fact, the songs on the acclaimed CD were for the most part recorded when other sessions at the studio were just ending. It became commonplace for Rich to ask the artists to stick around and put down a musical part for him�and luckily, they all obliged.
Hear song samples at www.richpagano.com
