Dave Michaels

B.B. King dubbed  Albert Cummings "a great guitarist."  Cummings writes, plays and sings the blues like nobody else.  He's played with blues legends B.B. King, Johnny Winter, and Buddy Guy.  

TJ Foster is a prolific singer/songwriter, composer and audio engineer from the Capital Region.  A member of the folk-rock quartet, Darling Valley, he's releasing his debut solo record, First Person, Vol. 1 on April 13, in which he performed and recorded every instrument at his own home studio.  

Dave Michaels chats with one of the Stax Records originators; the legendary Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter William Bell!  

... sell out The Egg that is!  "Job security!" says Oliver Wood; one-third of the dynamic Americana trio The Wood Brothers.  

Oliver and Chris Wood along with Jano Rix dropped by WEXT on the heels of the release of their sixth album, One Drop of Truth.  Hear them tell Dave Michaels the inspiration behind the album and listen as they perform in our studio.  

What happens when you challenge yourself to write a song on-demand and immediately record all of the parts, mix it and call it done in as little time possible?  "Oh, Life".  

Local 518 David Tyo explains how his original song "Oh, Life" was conceived, written, recorded, and mixed in three hours and two minutes.  No fancy studio trickery.  No looking back.  Nothing but forward momentum until something was created.  

The best singer-songwriters serve the song. The songwriter’s songwriter, James Maddock, who has earned the respect of masterful writers such as Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nile, has built his acclaimed legacy on humbly honoring purity of expression. For his latest album Insanity vs. Humanity, returns Maddock to his politically-charged roots, bringing him full circle after a three-decade career.  

The multitalented Liv Cummins hosts “Saturday Night LIV” -- a mix of sketch comedy, music, and novelty acts reminiscent of classic TV variety shows hosted by Ed Sullivan and Carol Burnett.

Liv dropped by to talk with Dave Michaels and brought Sandy McKnight, one of the evenings musical performers.  Our conversation begins with an inpromptu sketch followed by an acoustic performance by Sandy.  

Danl, a four-piece Americana roots-rock band from Albany, dropped by to share some new songs from their sophomore album, "Myth of Me".  Comprised of 518 stalwarts Jeff Sohn on bass, Chris Carey on drums, Danl on keys and lead vocals and Adam Clairmont on guitar, the guys talk about how the band came about and recorded this new album at Overit Studios.  

Hear their Local 518 Session here:

New Year's Eve is quickly approaching and there's no better way to ring in the new year than with a 5k, live entertainment, hot cocoa and fireworks!  

Who? What? When? Where?  ... Why?  Why not!  Dave Michaels talks with First Night Director Alix Jones from Saratoga Arts about all there is to see and do in downtown Saratoga Springs on New Year's Eve!  

Our good friend, JD McPherson and his incredibly hot band dropped by today and ripped through three songs from the new album, "Undivided Heart & Soul". 

In this Live@EXT session, hear Jackie Greene, the one-time member of Black Crowes and Trigger Hippy talk about the impetus for creating two EP's, recording solo in a noisy Brooklyn basement and  growing up; "It sounds like a country song, but it's true," Jackie says.  "My dad and mom split up when I was a kid and he left behind his acoustic guitar.  I don't know, maybe I was about 10.  I took piano lessons for a little while.  Took guitar lessons for about 2 mo

Americana treasure and New York punk troubadour Jesse Malin stopped by and talked to Dave Michaels about his early hardcore days before turning down the volume of his music.  "What I felt was we were playing out in these big venues, opening for these really big bands and everybody at that time wanted to mosh, the mosh pit, ya know", Jesse explains.  "I went back down to acoustic guitar.  I think there's a real connection between folk and punk be

His birthdate puts him squarely in the middle of Generation X, but Greg Klyma is an old-school troubadour. His enduring themes, articulate and amusing stories, and populist ideals make him one of those rare young artists who is carrying the torch of Woody and Ramblin' Jack.

New York-based singer-songwriter Bill Scorzari paints a lush folk music landscape with compelling lyrics and a rough, worn voice that draws you in.  His independently released sophomore album, Through These Waves is out now.  Produced by Jonah Tolchin (Yep Roc) and engineered, mixed, and mastered by Billy Bennett, the album of all original material was recorded over twelve days at the famed Bomb Shelter in East Nashville through the studio’s 1970’s MCI console and mixed to tape.  

Son Little is a nu-soul innovator from Philadelphia who “doesn’t strive to reproduce his influences; he recombines them into something new.” (NPR) He first gained notice through collaborations with The Roots and electronic producer RJD2, and has gone on to release a debut on roots-rock heavyweight ANTI- Records. Classic soul-inspired riffs are enhanced by a kaleidoscope of electronics, and anchored by Little’s mellifluous (often echo-soaked) voice. Perfect for sipping on an afternoon IPA.

Dave Michaels recently caught up with legendary blues rock icon Kim Simmonds!  Hear what they had to talk about below.  And don't miss Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown in a FREE show August 22 at Music on Mainstreet in Canajoharie! 

Exit 97.7 WEXT PRESENTS My Morning Jacket! 

My Morning Jacket make their MASS MoCA debut this Saturday night and drummer Patrick Hallahan tells Dave Michaels fans can expect the unexpected! 

Alex Wollyung (l), James Johnson (c), and Patrick Grace (r) from Local 518 Good Fiction dropped by to debut new songs from an upcoming fan-funded album!  Hear this bombastic trio in a stripped-down session and talk to Dave Michaels about their nine month music hiatus, musical heroes, upcoming shows and how you can help make their next album a reality. 

Local 518  brother and sister Jocelyn & Chris Arndt have been among our faves for several years!  Hear them tell Dave Michaels how they juggled attending Harvard University while writing, recording and touring relentlessly across America.  In the moments when they're not busy, Jocelyn likes to read while Chris explores his cooking abilities. 

He's a writer, producer, performer, musician, lion tamer and phlebotomist.  Okay maybe not the last two, but Sandy McKnight is certainly an entertaining jack-of-all-trades!  Sandy dropped by to play some songs and talk about his music projects, tv show and upcoming shows.

Keep up with Sandy at his website.

Cake - One of our favorite bands of the '90s are gearing up for two incredible shows in our area!  Go the distance!  Catch 'em at one, if not BOTH stops! With no set lists, you're in for a real treat! 

Friday, May 26 at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York

Sunday, May 28 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusettes

Scott began his music career in Wisconsin in the early ’90′s. He spent his teenage years attending Milwaukee’s prestigious High School of The Arts by day, while playing in clubs and touring by night. In the Fall of 2008, Scott joined the Gregg Allman Band as a touring guitarist, being hailed as “Gregg Allman’s secret weapon” by Glide magazine. Scott has developed a close musical relationship with Allman over the last 9 years and serves as Musical Director for the Gregg Allman Band.

Our friends from Dyer Switch Band dropped by to play some songs and chat about plans for a new album!  We're very excited about having them join the Local 518 lineup at this year's Albany Tulip Festival this Sunday!

All the details about the 69th Annual Albany Tulip Festival are HERE. 

Stop by and say "hello!"  We'd love to see you!

Ryan Montbleau has been an acclaimed singer, songwriter, and bandleader for more than a decade, but with his new album I Was Just Leaving, the New England-based artist has truly arrived. Contemplative and richly emotive, the album offers a glimpse into the often-lonesome life of the relentlessly traveling troubadour, a strikingly single-minded existence too often clouded by the blur of constant motion.