On Jan. 8, more than 700 people packed the Palace Theatre in Syracuse to “Fund the Bern.” Local music venue Funk ‘N Waffles hosted the benefit concert to support presidential candidate Bernie Sanders—and it made more than $16,000 in one night.
The Friday night show featured guest speakers and musicians from the Syracuse and Central New York community like Colleen Kattau, Jane Zell, Irv Lyons Jr., Grupo Pagan, Dave Risen, Root SHOCK, the Fat Peace, Subsoil, Castle Creek, Mage IX, Chris Merkley and Sophistafunk. Popular Syracuse food trucks PB&J’s Lunch Box, LLC and The Chicken Bandit were on hand to provide food.
On the event’s Facebook page, Driscoll shared a lengthy thank you letter, recounting the evening’s success:
“There are win-win situations, and then there’s whatever last night was—win-win times twelve, such good vibes, so many great performances, great food and tons of new volunteers recruited for the [Bernie] Sanders’ campaign… We raised awareness, we raised massive funds, we raised the roof and we raised some spirits. Most importantly, the sense of community in the room was so strong; it blew me away. And I haven’t danced and smiled that much in a while.”
Driscoll also reported that the volunteer group is planning to hold another concert at the historic Palace on James Street in Syracuse in April to continue raising funds for Sanders’ campaign, and he encouraged interested people to stay tuned via Facebook.
Buffalo and Rochester have been announced as two of the 15 cities on the Spring Fling Rock AF 2016 Tour.
The tour package will hit the Main Street Armory in Rochester on March 26 and roll through the Queen City on March 28. First Niagara Center will be hosting the event in Buffalo. Cage the Elephant, Silversun Pickups, Foals and Bear Hands are slated to perform on the multi-city run.
Tickets for both venues go on sale to the general public on Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. and range from $33 to $43. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or through the venue box offices. Pre-sales for fan clubs members for both of the bands and various radio stations sponsoring the event begin as early as Wednesday, Jan 13.
With packaged tours becoming more of a rarity, the bands are all eager to hit the road together. Cage the Elephant front man Matt Shultz had this to say:
“There’s a real sense of camaraderie and a shared philosophy amongst all of us on this tour. We come from all over the world, but we share a love of music and being on the road. These shows will celebrate that spirit.”
The tour kicks off March 11 in Fresno, California. In addition to two other California dates Spring Fling Rock AF Tour will also make stops in Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Maine before wrapping up on April 1 in Portland, Maine.
Spring Fling Rock AF 2016 Tour:
03/11 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
03/12 – Sacramento, CA – Sleep Train Arena
03/13 – Bakersfield, CA – Radobank Arena
03/16 – El Paso, TX – Don Haskins Center
03/18 – Tulsa, OK – Cox Business Center
03/19 – Southaven, MS – Landers Center
03/20 – Johnson City, TN – Freedom Hall Civic Center
03/22 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Coliseum
03/23 – Norfolk, VA – Constant Convocation Center
03/25 – Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center
03/26 – Rochester, NY – Main Street Armory
03/28 – Buffalo, NY – First Niagara Center
03/30 – Hartford, CT – XL Center
03/31 – Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena
04/01 – Providence, RI – Dunkin Donuts Center
Norman Dimitrouleas, former keyboardist for Ohio’s The Werks, passed away suddenly over the weekend.
Having brought his older brother Dino into the band in 2011, Norman left the group in 2014, returning to jam with them at The Werk Out this past summer.
Norman’s brother Dino Dimitrouleas, current bassist for The Werks, shared this statement on Facebook:
It is with a heavy heart that I am traveling back to Ohio early to be with family and prepare services for my brother Norman who passed away in his sleep last night. I want to say thank you to the hundreds of people who have reached out to me to give their condolences and support for me and my family during this very hard time.
Norman’ s heart was always bigger than his brain and he was one of the kindest humans I have ever known. He would consistently put himself out to try to help others and anyone who knew him couldn’t help but love him (no matter how mad you wanted to be with him). As I scroll down my news feed and see all the lives he has touched and influenced in his short life I can’t help but be proud to call this great man my brother. I love you Norman… rest in peace. You were too good for this world.
I will post information about services as soon as I know what they are.
Norman spoke with Gratefulweb in 2012 discussing his early musical background.
My parents got me lessons from a teacher skilled in teaching classical music. I was pretty good at it, but I wanted to play some rock and roll. She had me playing Bach and Beethoven, so one day I brought in the Beatles Let It Be and another song and asked her if I could learn it. She ended up telling me that he ‘wasn’t ready’ for that type of thing and she gave me Bach’s second to learn. I went home and worked on playing “Let It Be” and just barely touched practicing Bach. When I went back to practice the next week she asked me to pull out Bach. I got through about two bars of it and she said, ‘That’s it?’ I told her, ‘But look what I did learn,’ and I played a ripping “Let It Be.” She looked at me kind of blankly and said, ‘Well, I guess I didn’t understand the direction you wanted to go in and what you’ve come here for.’ And from then on I’ve been playing rock.”
The track “Norm and T-Bone Improv,” shared by Digipossum, was recorded in 2003. Digipossum shared the significance of this particular track:
This was recorded at my college’s recording studio shortly after I met Norm. He was the first musician I was doing studio work with, and even though he was sick and had a fever, he came in and did this track, because he knew how eager I was to record live musicians just getting started into recording at the time. This was all improv and no loops. He played all the layers live. We never put this out, and I thought I’d lost this recording, so was very happy to find it today. Enjoy. And RIP Norman. You were a great friend as well as a great musician.
Recently deceased Motorhead frontman Ian Fraser Kilmister, better known as Lemmy, may be the first metal legend to be named to an element in scientific periodic table. Change.org user John Wright, has created an online petition asking fans to help him name one of four newly discovered heavy metal elements as a tribute to the metal legend.
York, UK native Wright’s petition would like one of the four newly discovered elements which all have temporary names to be renamed “Lemmium.” The four temporary named elements on the periodic table include ununtrium (113), ununpentium (115), ununseptium (117) and ununoctium (118).
Wright created the online petition on Change.org, soon after the death of Kilmister. Wright’s petition already has over 135,000 of the 150,000 signatures needed to present to The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemestry (IUPAC), who is in charge of these sort of things.
IUPAC’s naming requirements state that new elements “can be named after a mythological concept, a mineral, a place, country, property or scientist.” Wright stated that since a star is named after Kilmister, that his name meets the IUPAC’s requirements and jokingly added that Kilmister is also a rock & roll scientist.
Scientists who helped discover the four new synthetic elements typically have the honor of naming. After they are named, they go up for public review for five months before being confirmed and officially added to the periodic table.
Wrights petition even caught the eye of returning Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan who sent out a twitter message to fans to help support the petition by retweeting Wright’s post for his online petition.
Expressen.se reports that Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee stated that the band is now “over,” since the passing of Kilmister who died at 70 from an aggressive form of cancer. Dee stated that Kilmister “was” Motorhead, and being that Kilmister was the only original member left in the band, its only right to stop making music and touring.
Legendary singer, songwriter, and actor David Bowie is dead, as of Sunday night, at the age of 69. With a career that spanned nearly five decades, he not only created impactful, memorable musical moments but influenced generations of musicians.
The New York Times confirmed his death with his publicist, Steve Martin, on Monday morning.
According to a post on his Facebook page, “David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family.” Various statements on Bowie’s social media accounts confirm he died after an 18-month battle with cancer.
Jan. 8th not only marked Bowie’s 69th birthday, but also the release of his latest album, Blackstar. Carnegie Hall recently announced plans for a David Bowie tribute concert on March 31. The Roots, The Mountain Goats, Cyndi Lauper, Perry Farrell, Jakob Dylan, and Ann Wilson (Heart) are all slated to perform in what will now be a tribute to Bowie’s life, music and legacy.
Longtime collaborator and producer Tony Visconti, who worked with Bowie on his album’s since his 1969 breakthrough Space Oddity, wrote on his facebook page that he felt Blackstar was intended to be Bowie’s “parting gift.”
“He always did what he wanted to do. And he wanted to do it his way and he wanted to do it the best way. His death was no different from his life – a work of Art.
“He made Blackstar for us, his parting gift. I knew for a year this was the way it would be. I wasn’t, however, prepared for it.
“He was an extraordinary man, full of love and life. He will always be with us. For now, it is appropriate to cry.”
Bowie released his self-titled debut album in 1967. Over the course of 28 albums, he constantly reinvented himself in persona, musical styling and fashion.
After his first UK hit, “Space Oddity” in 1969, Bowie emerged in the early 70s as “Ziggy Stardust”. His alter ego’s album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, was ranked #35 by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the greatest albums of all-time. The 70s also gave birth to Bowie’s first US crossover hit “Fame” while his 1975 release Young Americans saw another shift in style and sound.
Photo: Rex
By the 1980s, Bowie enjoyed mounting commercial success. In the UK, he landed #1 singles with “Ashes to Ashes” and the Queen collaboration “Under Pressure.” His career reached new heights in 1983 with the release of Let’s Dance, his best-selling album to date. The title track would become his biggest hit, reaching #1 in the UK, US and various other countries. The album also launched several other singles including “China Girl” and “Modern Love.”
Bowie continued to write and create new materials throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He stopped touring after his 2003-2004 Reality Tour. His final live performance was in 2006 for a charity event.
In addition to music, Bowie enjoyed success in both stage, television and film. He collaborated on an Off Broadway musical “Lazarus”, a sequel to his role in the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth. His two dozen film roles included Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth and Andy Warhol in Basquiat.
Bowie’s legacy is highlighted by his 1996 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in Feb. 2006.
David Robert Jones was born in Brixton, London on January 8, 1947. Bowie would later change his moniker in the mid 60’s to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of the Monkees. He renamed himself after the 19th-century American frontiersman Jim Bowie, who popularized the bowie knife. As a young man in the UK, Bowie studied art, music and design.
Read the true story behind Bowie’s arrest in Rochester in 1976.
Bowie is survived by his son, director Duncan Jones from his marriage with his first wife Angela Barnett, his wife fashion model Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid (known professionally as Iman) and their daughter, Alexandra “Lexi” Zahra Jones.
A slew of celebrities took to Twitter on news that Bowie had passed.
“Very sad news to wake up to on this raining morning. David was a great star and I treasure the moments we had together.” Paul McCartney
“Talented. Unique. Genius. Game Changer. The Man who Fell to Earth. Your Spirit Lives on Forever!” – Madonna
“David’s friendship was the light of my life. I never met such a brilliant person. He was the best there is. – Iggy Pop”
“I just lost a hero. RIP David Bowie.” – Ricky Gervais
“Never imagined a world without him. He has ascended into the cosmos from whence he came. Farewell, David Bowie.” – Elijah Wood
“He never seemed of this earth. Now he’s left it. He bent rules, gender, genres, and our minds. RIP David Bowie. One. Of. A. Kind.” – Josh Groban
“RIP David . I loved your music. I loved you. One of the greatest performance artists to have ever lived. #sorrow.” – Russel Crowe
” David Bowie was a true innovator, a true creative. May he rest in peace #RIPDavidBowie” – Pharrel Williams
“I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me – I was not ready for this. RIP Bowie.” – Weird Al Yankovic
“I grew up listening to and watching the pop genius David Bowie. He was a master of re-invention, who kept getting it right. A huge loss.” – British Prime Minister David Cameron
Four regional bands will play the second annual Winter Warm Up at The Linda in Albany to benefit WAMC, Northeast Public Radio, on Saturday, Jan. 16.
Bryan Thomas, KoriSoron, SubSlab and The North & South Dakotas are contributing their performances to benefit the area’s non-profit NPR affiliate, at WAMC’s performing arts studio, The Linda. Beer, wine and pub fare will be available for purchase at the benefit.
Albany’s own Bryan Thomas will bring his self-described soul rock that promises to get everyone dancing. Schenectady’s acoustic trio KoriSoron will enchant the audience with their global tradition-influenced rock and progressive music. SubSlab will supply their female-led rock-n-roll. And The North & South Dakotas bring their old-timey Appalachian-style music, with elements of bluegrass, folk and honky-tonk.
WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a regional non-profit radio network that serves parts of New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It is affiliated with National Public Radio and Public Radio International. The Linda is a multipurpose performance space run by WAMC that hosts concerts, lectures, debates and films among other events, many of which are broadcast over WAMC’s radio stations.
The Jan. 16 show will take place at 8 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 with all proceeds supporting WAMC.
This Friday at Verboten in Brooklyn, the electronic duo of Elijah Wood and Zach Cowie, aka Wooden Wisdom take the stage with a stellar lineup of DJs in tow. Wood and Cowie’s project demonstrates stylistic range, but still maintains a distinct harmonic impression that’s unique to Wooden Wisdom alone. Known for spinning vinyl that ranges in style and sound from African funk and acid rock to bass driven funky 70’s classics, they weave a range of artists and beats into smooth, energetic, sophisticated mixes.
Wood and Cowie’s music bears a certain reflection to it’s stylistic influences, which are American DJs and producers with deep footprints in the hiphop and electronic music scenes. Wood recently did an interview with promoter Harrison Waxenberg, who also produces for Brooklyn based electronic duo Horizon Wireless. When asked about his musical influences, Wood said “The DJs that inspired me to want to spin records would probably have to be Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow.”
Other performers include Ben Silver from Chicago based live production act Orchard Lounge, Callie Reiff, Philadelphia based producers Wyllys and Risky Disko, Business Casual Disco, Tucci, and many more.
The event is an all night affair, filled with music from talented DJs and producers from throughout the country. Wooden Wisdom will perform in the early hours after midnight with the first act of the evening starting at 10 pm, and music ending at 6 am.
Tickets for Wooden Wisdom at Verboten are still available online for $40. Verboten is located at 54 N. 11th Street in Brooklyn, New York. The show is 21+.
The concert era of he New York State Fair Grandstand may have gone out with a whimper this summer, but Saturday it will go out with a bang. Literally. The New York State Fair Twitter feed posted the following Thursday:
ANNOUNCEMENT: As part of the first step of renovations and upgrades the Grandstand will be imploded at approximately 1:20 pm Sat, Jan 9th.
The 38-year-old grandstand at the New York State Fairgrounds in Geddes, just outside of Syracuse, is scheduled to be imploded Saturday as the first stage of upcoming renovations to the fairgrounds. The final act will be the sound of dynamite, provided by Tonawanda-based firm Total Wrecking & Environmental.
The public is invited to witness the demolition, scheduled for 1:20 p.m. Saturday, from the brown parking lot, located across State Fair Boulevard. The lot will open at 9:30 a.m. with an area cordoned off for best viewing of the grandstand.
According to the Auburn Citizen, the demolition of the grandstand will make way for, “A new 110,000-square-foot expo center, an equestrian facility, 400-space RV park and Chevy Court improvements.” The RV park will replace the grandstand and all future fair concerts will be moved to the Lakeview Amphitheater, which was christened in September by country star Miranda Lambert.
Since opening in 1978, the grandstand has hosted such musical legends as Frank Sinatra, B.B. King, Tina Turner, Rush, Aerosmith, Frank Zappa, the Allman Brothers Band and the Beach Boys.
Donald Fagen, co-founder of Steely Dan, was arrested on Monday at his home in New York City after an altercation with his wife, Libby Titus.
Donald Fagen was charged with harassment and misdemeanor assault in Manhattan Criminal Court and released Tuesday morning without bail. He was issued a temporary order of protection, requiring he stays away from Titus. According to the criminal complaint, Fagen shoved Titus into a marble window frame. She suffered bruising and swelling.
Steely Dan, formed in 1972, are known for their jazz-based pop/rock on hits such as “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number,” “Hey Nineteen” and “Deacon Blues.” They have recently played several of their classic albums in their entirety at concerts in New York’s Beacon Theatre.
Libby Titus is a singer/songwriter who has collaborated with Phil Ramone, Robbie Robertson, Paul Simon and Carly Simon. She is best known for her song “Love Has No Pride,” written with Eric Kaz. The song was recorded by Titus, Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt.
Fagen was born in Passaic, NJ, whose mother Elinor was a swing singer in the Catskill Mountains from childhood through her teens. His family moved to the suburb of Fair Lawn, NJ in 1958 and soon after to the Kendall Park section of South Brunswick, NJ, which upset him but his love of late-night radio would inspire the album The Nightfly.
The Alchemy Rising Music and Arts Festival held at the 160 acre Frontier Ranch in Pataskala, Ohio, offers patrons the freedom to fully immerse themselves in artistic splendor. The weekend of creative saturation, which will be held May 12-14, encourages attendees to revel in a musical lineup headlined by Consider the Source, Broccoli Samurai, Dark Side of the Moon, Tropidelic and Sassafraz.
Marbin, Yosemight, Vibe & Direct, Dixon’s Violin, Pasadena, Ghost Gardens, JoJo Stella, Spacewhale and Steve Sweeney of Ekoostik Hookah will also share the spotlight, with more to be announced.
Alongside the concoction of musical enterprise, festival goers are encouraged to participate in an eclectic array of musical workshops, art installations and outdoor activities including a full frisbee golf course. The hands-on, multi-sensory experience is designed to illuminate the senses, whether manifesting creative output through the tip of a paintbrush, receiving sonic vibrations from the hands of talented musicians, or releasing energy through a calculated frisbee toss.
Pre-sale tickets for Alchemy Rising Festival, which alchemically translate into a three-night, family friendly outdoor extravaganza, are available now.
Tickets for both venues go on sale to the general public on Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. and range from $33 to $43. Tickets can be purchased 
Having brought his older brother Dino into the band in 2011, Norman left the group in 2014, returning to jam with them at The Werk Out this past summer.
York, UK native Wright’s petition would like one of the four newly discovered elements which all have temporary names to be renamed “Lemmium.” The four temporary named elements on the periodic table include ununtrium (113), ununpentium (115), ununseptium (117) and ununoctium (118).
Wrights petition even caught the eye of returning Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan who sent out a twitter message to fans to help support the petition by retweeting Wright’s post for his online petition.
