Article/Photos: Zak Radick

Up-and-coming Long Island rock trio Baked Shrimp kicked off their extensive summer tour over the weekend, playing two afternoons of all original music at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY. Serving as the official pre-party to the Twiddle concerts down the road in LaFayette, the band was joined by some very special guests on both days, setting the tone for what is sure to be a break-out summer for the ambitious young band.

Don’t be fooled by their boyish good looks, Baked Shrimp are anything but a “new” band. Since forming in 2017, the band comprised of Jared Cowen (guitar,vocals), Scott Reill (bass, vocals) and Jager Soss (drums, vocals), have released two studio albums, done multiple tours across the northeast and are currently organizing their first festival, Lon Con, in memory of their late friend Lon Gellman. After Covid-19 cancelled all of their touring plans last summer, to say the band was excited to get back on the road is an understatement.

Fresh off the release of the latest album “Conscious,” Baked Shrimp kicked off the first of their 36 tour dates in grand fashion, busting out with “Maple Tree,” a song they hadn’t played in 72 shows. Looking confident and sounding great, it wasn’t long into the set before the explosive trio welcomed their first guest of the weekend, Twiddle keyboardist Ryan Dempsey. Showing his approval of the band by wearing a Baked Shrimp T-shirt, the charismatic Dempsey sat in on the original songs “Silk, Smooth, and Shiny Buttons,” and “Time Wasted, Wasted Time.” Then in a total surprise to the band, Dempsey would call fellow Twiddle member Mihali Savoulidis to the stage, joining on guitar for an extended jam of one of ‘Shrimp’s catchiest originals, “Bird.” A feel-good moment shared by everyone in the room, and surely one the young band will remember for years to come.

The fire on stage re-kindled the following afternoon with another impressive Baked Shrimp set of all original music. As if the live debut of three new songs (“The Vision That I Can See,” ”Penuche Took the Fudge” and “It Isn’t Fair”) wasn’t enough, the band had one more treat in store for the attentive music fans attendance. Already in town with his band Aqueous, Baked Shrimp invited guitarist and skateboard enthusiast Mike Gantzer to join them for the tunes “Who are You and What am I,” “Pork Etiquette, “Melting Over Nothing,” resulting in some of the most memorable moments of improvisation and straight-up shredding of the weekend. With smiles for miles, it was clear that trading licks and sharing the stage with one of his musical heroes was a bit of a “pinch me” moment for Shrimp ax-man Jared Cowen; the perma-grin on his face telling the bigger story. The band would go on to encore with another original debut “It Isn’t Fair,” which brought the impressive -two-day showcase to a close.

Talented, creative, and full of ambition, it’s easy to predict big things ahead for this exting young band out of Long Island. You’ll have plenty of chances to see them this summer too! The next scheduled Baked Shrimp gig is June 5th in Gibbon Glade, PA, before they head to Fitchburg, MA on June 11th and then Coeyman’s Hollow, NY on June 12th.

Setlists:

5/29/21 – The Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY

One Set: Maple Tree (1), Clear Your Head, Weird Times, Silk, Smooth, and Shiny Buttons (2), Time Wasted, Wasted Time (2) Orpheus (2), Bird (3), I Know You Tried, Ollie Blu -> Little Chameleon -> Ollie Blu, Serendipity (4) -> Chimera, Beacon River

(1) Last Time Played: 10/12/18 (72 Show Gap)
(2) w/ Ryan Dempsey (Keys; Twiddle)
(3) w/ Ryan Dempsey (Keys; Twiddle) and Mihali Savoulidis (Guitar; Twiddle)
(4) Unfinished

05/30/21 – The Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY

One Set: Dirt Road, Madam Blueberry, The Vision That I Can See (1), Down the Drain, Who are You and What am I? (2), Pork Etiquette (2), Melting Over Nothing (2), Tulu, Penuche Took the Fudge (1), Pig Hearts and Mechanical Parts -> Serendipity (3)

Encore: It Isn’t Fair (1)

(1) Debut; Original
(2) w/ Mike Gantzer (Guitar; Aqueous)
(3) Ending Only; Completes 5/29 Version