LIVE: The Exit’s Local 518 Benefit Concert @ WMHT-TV Studios, 10/23/09

What a great night of music.

If you ever doubted that Nippertown boasts a local music scene worthy of national buzz, this show certainly would have changed your mind.

In support of the Capital Region’s most local music-centric radio station WEXT-FM, the Exit’s Local 518 Benefit Concert featured four homegrown acts who are already beginning to attract national and even international attention.

Railbird Jr. – a slightly smaller version of Railbird – kicked off the evening at the Exit Dome (aka, the WMHT-TV studios in North Greenbush) with a batch of new songs showcasing a more ethereal sound for vocalist Sarah Pedinotti and her band. The band members seemed to switch instruments after every song, and they even brought up a few special guests – Sean Rowe (guitar and vocals) and Matthew Loiacono (mandolin and pantomimed drums).

Fresh from his stint in the finals of the Capital Region’s Got Talent competition, Eric Margan was back in front of his band the Red Lions for an exquisite set of sparkling chamber-pop culled from their debut album, “The Midnight Book.” With the Parnas sisters, Cicely on cello and Madalyn on violin, providing lush string support, the ensemble also delivered an elegant, heartfelt rendition of Jackson Browne’s “These Days.”

The ever soulful Sean Rowe returned for an impressive solo set, drawing from his wonderful album, “Magic,” as well as a fine, fine batch of new tunes penned during his three-week tour of the United Kingdom. This was his first U.S. show since returning home, and he certainly made the most of it, garnering many new fans.

Troy power-rock trio Super 400 cranked up their amps and rattled the public television studio like it’s never been rocked before. Guitarist Kenny Hohman, bassist Lori Friday and power-pounding drummer Joe Daley tore through selections from their recently released album, “Sweet Fist,” scoring highest marks with the hook-filled favorite “Flashlight.”

Then the requisite all-star superjam closed out the night with the unlikely selection of Tom Waits’ “That Feel,” as Rowe and Pedinotti traded off verses.

The near-capacity crowd in the studio seemed to dig it all, and the entire evening was also broadcast live on WEXT-FM. In addition, the concert was filmed, so stay tuned for updates regarding possible WMHT-TV broadcast of the whole affair.

Photographs by Bryan Thomas. To see all of Bryan’s photos of the show – more than 100 in all – go here.