3 7 Page 2 March 2019 March 2019 Page 3 Inside She’s Back! After a five year break from the local music scene, Niki Chaos is making up for lost time. Page 8 Photo provided Joe Mele, center, poses for a picture with his wife, Patti, and their son, Dustin, prior to Dustin’s death in 2013. A Day to Remember Mele reflects on life in music on eve of very personal concert By Ralph Renna in the industry, with a resume of accomplishments On the Record anyone would be proud of, especially being from Troy, Troy’s River Street Beat Shop is a hotbed not only for Troy is a blue-collar town whose residents’ bragging of course. vinyl collectors, but rights stem from their pride in Uncle Sam. What came next was completely unexpected, and loyal musicians the guitarist’s life froze when his son, Dustin, suddenly Page 16 Families from all over the world settled here hun- dreds of years ago to start new lives. As they made committed suicide. Life would change forever for Joe friends, special bonds were formed. Extended families and his family. As devastating as the tragedy remains grew bigger and bigger, and although bloodlines ran in six years later, out of it was born a new purpose for Features different directions, loyalty to the Collar City remained Joe’s music. Along with his wife, Patti, and daughter, true. Lindsay, the three came together in Dustin’s memory, The Loud Hours ...........23 Over the past 40 years, Troy has remained a prime and Joe’s extended family of musicians were more than Undercovered ..............25 location for movie shoots, the arts and, of course, a wide willing to help find some good in the soul-crushing pain. Sassy Says ......................26 spectrum of talented musicians. No matter the genre or Every year since then, The Dustin Mele Memorial Liar’s Almanac ..............27 sound, there is an immediate respect and bond formed Concert has used music to help a family – and a com- Band Listings ................28 among musicians from Troy. munity - heal and remember, while also helping spare RadioRadioX shows... 29 If you were to ask around town, one name likely to other families of the inescapable torment The Meles Between the Lines ......31 be among the first to be mentioned would be Joe Mele. have faced since Dustin’s death. As you will learn, Joe has taken big steps and rubbed el- bows, Strats and Les Pauls with some of the top names Continued on Page 4 Page 4 March 2019 British Invasion led Mele to music career Continued from Page 3 and hung with Sly from Sly and the Family Stone. RRX: Let’s discuss your earliest When I returned home, I formed memory of wanting to play guitar. the band Merlin’s Minstrels and start- Be vivid, paint a picture, tell your ed playing clubs. The drinking age story. Where and when did your life was 18, and from that point on, I was as a musician begin? playing five or six nights a week until Joe: I got my first guitar as a disco hit in the mid ’70s and clubs present from my parents when I was started booking DJ’s over live bands. 10. I used to listen to WABY-AM I moved to New Jersey and radio on Sunday nights, R&B music. formed a band called Devon Kid. We My pre-British invasion influences got signed by Warner Brothers and came from Duane Eddy, the Ven- were managed by Dee Anthony, who tures and early blues stuff, such as was also managing Joe Cocker and Robert Johnson and BB King. Humble Pie. We played showcases My younger brother, Dave, got all over New York City and recorded drums a few years later. We formed two albums over the next year. a band when I was about 12 or 13, I wound up going to Los Ange- with childhood friend Denny Mof- les with part of the band. In 1976, I frey, called Grand Prix and started got a call from Doug Jacobs to help to play school dances and block open a club, form a house band, parties. When I was 14, Denny and and install my sound system. This I saw the Beatles at Shea Stadium, club was the legendary J.B. Scott’s my first concert, and it changed (in Albany), and I stayed to be the everything for me. house sound engineer and play When the British Invasion hit in shows for the next year and a half. the mid-’60s, everything changed. During that time, I was working In 1968, I moved to Brooklyn and with up-and-coming acts such as played the Jersey shore. We were Ramones, Annie Lennox, Tom Petty, living and crashing at the bars we Buddy Rich and many more. played in. That summer, I went to I’ve toured extensively, playing Photo provided London for a few months, at the shows across the U.S. and Canada, Guitarist Joe Mele has played at many of North America’s most presti- peak of the British invasion, experi- performing in bands at the presti- gious venues over a career that began when he formed a band with his encing it firsthand. It was there I met gious New York, Boston and younger brotherin the early 1960s. Xperience is published monthly by RadioradioX.com and can be found at locations around the Capital Re- gion. All content © 2019 by Imperial Broadcasting. Publisher: Art Fredette Editor: Mark Robarge Associate Editor: Liam Sweeny Mailing address: Online: radioradiox.com 35D Saratoga Ave. E-mail: [email protected] Waterford, NY 12188 Phone: 518-326-1673 March 2019 Page 5 Chicago Blues Festivals; Buddy Guy’s Legends nightclub in Chica- go; House of Blues in L.A.; House of Blues in Boston; New York’s Manny’s Car Wash, Kenny’s Cast- aways and The Bitter End. Recording and studio work includes development work for producer Dee Anthony and many independent record labels. While performing with Janelle Donovan at the Blue Bird in Nashville, I record- ed with Billy Cox (Jimi Hendrix’s bass player) for Gene Golden, who was musical director for Kenny Rogers. I’ve shared the stage with ac- claimed artists such as B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Derek Trucks, Alan Woody, Warren Haynes, Dickey Betts, Dan and Frankie Toller, James Photo provided Cotton, Joey Molland of Badfinger, Members of Soul Sky, including Joe Mele, second from left, perform during the 5th Annual Dustin Mele Memol- Terry Sylvester of the Hollies, Billy rial Benefit Concert on March 11, 2018, at Brown’s Revolution Hall in downtown Troy. Kramer of The Dakotas, Savoy and reuniting Emerald City after a Boys and Girls Club, the Compan- Soul Sky ... has participated in Brown, Joan Osborne, NRBQ, Or- 30-year hiatus. ion Animal Placement Program, the the past three memorial concertsand leans, Dr. John, Little Feat, Lonnie RRX: The annual memorial Troy Music Academy Music Schol- will be joined this year by guests in- Mack, New Riders of the Purple concert utilizes music to raises arship Program and the Rensselaer cluding Tony Perrino, Johnny Rabb, Sage, Johnny Johnson, Dave Mason, awareness and money for mental County Heroes at Home project. Graham Tichy, Donna Tritico and Charlie Daniels, and Vince Gill. illness and suicide prevention. What : We know that there is a big Luke McNamee. I also participated in clinics with RRX drummer Carmine Appice. organizations have you have donat- family of musicians here in upstate Super 400 is Troy’s power trio, A large part of my focus now is ed to over the first five years? New York, but how are all the acts featuring Kenny Hohman, Lori Friday with my son’s annual memorial con- Joe: Proceeds from this year’s playing this year’s memorial rele- and Joe Daley. Joe is a family mem- cert. I am so fortunate to have the Memorial Concert will support vant? ber, and Kenny and Lori are close support of the local music commu- three organizations, the American Joe: Every year seems to get family friends, and they have played nity, family and friends. Foundation for Suicide Prevention, bigger. This year is extra special and supported the event each year. RRX: Let’s talk about Emerald National Alliance on Mental Ill- because Bobby Etoll, a childhood Emerald City has also played City, other bands and current proj- ness and Rensselaer County mental friend, will be joining us from L.A. each year, with Ed Powers and Gary ects. health and emergency assistance for a one-time-only reunion of the Tash expected to join them. Joe: Emerald City, I’ve been programs through Catholic Chari- Bob Etoll Group. RRX: Do you have any advice playing with Gary Brooks and Dave ties’ CONSERNS-U program, all in The band is led by Bobby, a both musically and personally, that Costa since 1970. To look over at memory of Dustin. longtime resident of Los Angeles, may help someone? the side of the stage and see these Past annual concerts have raised where he founded and built the Joe: I feel that music heals. It’s guys, they are family. Playing with over $50,000 for Capital Region successful and widely acclaimed a blessing to be able to play music Soul Sky with Mark Emanatian, not-for-profits. The American Q-Factory Music Library. He is one and raise money to help people in I’ve been playing with Mark off Foundation for Suicide Prevention of the world’s leading composers need and not-for-profit organizations and on for 25 years, going back to credited the Dustin Mele Memori- and music producers for trailers, that help people - and sometimes when Mark and I played with Ernie al Concert as the top fundraiser in documentaries, TV theme songs and animals - in the Capital Region.