Category: NYC Metro

2016 Tony Award Nominees

History has its eyes on the hit musical, Hamilton, which has 16 Tony Award nominations in 2016 – the record for nominations in Broadway history.

I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing any of the New Best Musical nominees, but based on not only the cast recordings, but reviews as well, I’m on Team Hamilton. I’ll be honest, when I first heard about Hamilton last year while it was running off-Broadway, I scoffed at the thought (not knowing at the time that Lin-Manuel Miranda of In the Heights fame had written it). But I haven’t stopped listening to that cast album since it was released early last fall.

It won’t be a surprise when Hamilton takes home most, if not all, of the awards they are up for on June 12, all simply because they deserve it. Plus, I think the Tony Voters are more than happy with the attention and money Broadway is getting thanks to this hit.

The only “snub” I think we will see is if Leslie Odom Jr. gets the award for his performance of Aaron Burr instead of Miranda earning it for the title role. Although it is based solely on the cast album, I’m rooting for Odom.

I believe this year we will also see a historic number of Tony Award viewers. Typically ranked last out of the the EGOT Award shows in viewership, people won’t want to miss the performance of Hamilton. I just hope that it will also shed some light on the other musicals who also deserved their nominations this year. Those include Shuffle Along, Waitress, School of Rock the Musical, and Bright Star.

As for Best Musical Revival…I think we all know where my opinion stands on that as I had the pleasure of seeing Deaf West’s Revival of Spring Awakening back in January. I think this is another groundbreaking hit that also expands the audience like Hamilton has done for theatre. What I think will really happen with Tony Voters though….I think it’ll be a tough call between Spring Awakening and The Color Purple. Other revivals include Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me.

The Tony Awards will air on Sunday, June 12 at 8pm on CBS.

The full list of the 70^th Annual Tony Award nominees:

Best musical
“Bright Star”
“Hamilton”
“School of Rock — The Musical”
“Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
“Waitress”

Best revival of a musical
“The Color Purple”
“Fiddler on the Roof”
“She Loves Me”
“Spring Awakening”

Best play
“Eclipsed”
“The Father”
“The Humans”
“King Charles III”

Best revival of a play
“Blackbird”
“The Crucible”
“Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
“Noises Off”
“A View from the Bridge”

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical
Alex Brightman, “School of Rock — The Musical”
Danny Burstein, “Fiddler on the Roof”
Zachary Levi, “She Loves Me”
Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Hamilton”
Leslie Odom Jr., “Hamilton”

Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical
Laura Benanti, “She Loves Me”
Carmen Cusack, “Bright Star”
Cynthia Erivo, “The Color Purple”
Jessie Mueller, “Waitress”
Phillipa Soo, “Hamilton”

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play
Gabriel Byrne, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
Jeff Daniels, “Blackbird”
Frank Langella, “The Father”
Tim Pigott-Smith, “King Charles III”
Mark Strong, “A View from the Bridge”

Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play
Jessica Lange, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
Laurie Metcalf, “Misery”
Lupita Nyong’o, “Eclipsed”
Sophie Okonedo, “The Crucible”
Michelle Williams, “Blackbird”

Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical
Daveed Diggs, “Hamilton”
Brandon Victor Dixon, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
Christopher Fitzgerald, “Waitress”
Jonathan Groff, “Hamilton”
Christopher Jackson, “Hamilton”

Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical
Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”
Renée Elise Goldsberry, “Hamilton”
Jane Krakowski, “She Loves Me”
Jennifer Simard, “Disaster!”
Adrienne Warren, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”

Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play
Reed Birney, “The Humans”
Bill Camp, “The Crucible”
David Furr, “Noises Off”
Richard Goulding, “King Charles III”
Michael Shannon, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”

Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play
Pascale Armand, “Eclipsed”
Megan Hilty, “Noises Off”
Jayne Houdyshell,” The Humans”
Andrea Martin, “Noises Off”
Saycon Sengbloh, “Eclipsed”

Best book of a musical
“Bright Star,” Steve Martin
“Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda
“School of Rock — The Musical,” Julian Fellowes
“Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed,” George C. Wolfe

Best original score
“Bright Star,” Music: Steve Martin and Edie Brickell; Lyrics: Edie Brickell
“Hamilton,” Music and Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
“School of Rock — The Musical,” Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics: Glenn Slater
“Waitress,” Music and Lyrics: Sara Bareilles

Best direction of a play
Rupert Goold, “King Charles III”
Jonathan Kent, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
Joe Mantello, “The Humans”
Liesl Tommy, “Eclipsed”
Ivo van Hove, “A View from the Bridge”

Best direction of a musical
Michael Arden, “Spring Awakening”
John Doyle, “The Color Purple”
Scott Ellis, “She Loves Me”
Thomas Kail, “Hamilton”
George C. Wolfe, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”

Best scenic design of a play
Beowulf Boritt, “Thérèse Raquin”
Christopher Oram, “Hughie”
Jan Versweyveld, “A View from the Bridge”
David Zinn, “The Humans”

Best scenic design of a musical
Es Devlin and Finn Ross, “American Psycho”
David Korins, “Hamilton”
Santo Loquasto, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
David Rockwell, “She Loves Me”

Best costume design of a play
Jane Greenwood, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
Michael Krass, “Noises Off”
Clint Ramos, “Eclipsed”
Tom Scutt, “King Charles III”

Best costume design of a musical
Gregg Barnes, “Tuck Everlasting”
Jeff Mahshie, “She Loves Me”
Ann Roth, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
Paul Tazewell, “Hamilton”

Best lighting design of a play
Natasha Katz, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
Justin Townsend, “The Humans”
Jan Versweyveld, “The Crucible”
Jan Versweyveld, “A View from the Bridge”

Best lighting design of a musical
Howell Binkley, “Hamilton”
Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
Ben Stanton, “Spring Awakening”
Justin Townsend, “American Psycho”

Best choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, “Hamilton”
Savion Glover, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
Hofesh Shechter, “Fiddler on the Roof”
Randy Skinner, “Dames at Sea”
Sergio Trujillo, “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan”

Best orchestrations
August Eriksmoen, “Bright Star”
Larry Hochman, “She Loves Me”
Alex Lacamoire, “Hamilton”
Daryl Waters, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”

Special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theater
Sheldon Harnick
Marshall W. Mason

Special Tony Award
National Endowment for the Arts
Miles Wilkin

Regional Theater Tony Award
Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, N.J.

Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award
Brian Stokes Mitchell

Tony Honors for excellence in the theater
Seth Gelblum
Joan Lader
Sally Ann Parsons

Tony nominations by production
“Hamilton” — 16
“Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed” — 10
“She Loves Me” — 8
“Long Day’s Journey Into Night” — 7
“Eclipsed” — 6
“The Humans” — 6
“Bright Star” — 5
“King Charles III” — 5
“Noises Off” — 5
“A View from the Bridge” — 5
“The Color Purple” — 4
“The Crucible” — 4
“School of Rock — The Musical” — 4
“Waitress” — 4
“Blackbird” — 3
“Fiddler on the Roof” — 3
“Spring Awakening” — 3
“American Psycho” — 2
“The Father” — 2
“Dames at Sea” — 1
“Disaster!” — 1
“Hughie” — 1
“Misery” — 1
“On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan” — 1
“Thérèse Raquin” — 1
“Tuck Everlasting” — 1

Nominations courtesy of tonyawards.com

May 10, 2016
Twiddle, Tauk, Holly Bowling and Matisyahu Combine for an Epic Night at The Capitol Theatre

Take the fastest rising jamband in recent years, add in a hot prog-rock band boiling over with talent, a classically trained pianist performing the music of Phish and The Grateful Dead, and a cross-genre reggae singer and you have the fixings for one of the best nights of live music The Capitol Theatre has seen this year, and that’s saying a lot., with Twiddle, Tauk, Holly Bowling and Matisyahu to credit.

The night began with Holly Bowling’s performance at Garcia’s, a benefit for The White Light Foundation, Twiddle’s charitable wing. Being that this was Garcia’s, Bowling offered a spirited mashup of “Help on the Way” > “Slipknot” > “Theme from the Bottom” > “Franklins Tower” and a full Terrapin Station suite. Phish’s “Taste”, a newer addition to her repertoire was full of energy, as was the set closing “Harry Hood”, which found Twiddle keyboardist Ryan Dempsey joining for the latter portion of the song, leading to true keyboard cavalry between the two who enjoyed the dual experience immensely as evidenced by their ear to ear grins.

The remarkable talent of TAUK is something that continues to translate well directly from their studio albums, with an exclamation point placed firmly upon their music in the live setting. Fans gaped in awe at the musicianship performing an opening hour long set. “Eleanor Rigby” -> “In Bloom” capped off their set, a familiar appearance in setlists, and one that beckons for more variety from this quartet who have immense talent contained within to stretch into unfamiliar territory.

While a sell out of the Capitol Theatre is a goal for any rising or established band, it’s not like Twiddle hasn’t played to larger audiences. The rally around the band by the fanbase created an electric feel with familiar faces everywhere, even of those who are uninitiated to the music or skeptical of the group. The fans, these ‘Twiddlers’ (among the variety of names they have for each other – Frends, Twiddiots, Twiddlenauts, etc…) are what draws in attention to the band, as much as the band itself does. Like any mass following of a musician, the community that rallies around them is reflective of the music, and the base has the emotive welcoming personality found in Twiddle’s music. There is a syncopation between the music and the fans, something observed last year after attending four Twiddle shows over three months.

The “Blunderbuss” opener caught many off guard, as it was a debut fresh from the upcoming Plump Chapter 2, and a tight instrumental at that. The “Polluted Beauty” jam was driven by Gubb’s bass and Brooke’s drums, with an impressive funk jam that developed in “Wasabi Eruption” that was a highlight of the first set. Then “The Box” showed up and built off that energy; the build and electronic tone is the reason why “The Box” stands out as one of Twiddle’s strongest jam vehicles.

The all too familiar reggae sound of Twiddle was front and center in the set closing “Lost in the Cold.” It served as the perfect song for Matisyahu to join on with vocals, an unforced and natural fit, after having expressed admiration for the band. Following his contribution to “Lost in the Cold,” he took off his jacket and upon getting fans on the floor to put their hands up, he unexpectedly stage dove into the crowd. You don’t see this at jamband shows, or really any non-punk/metal show for that matter. It was a headscratcher as we headed into setbreak, but the energy from the set hardly dissipated.

A five song second set opened with “Grandpa Fox,” a little proggy no nonsense starter. And when there was a need for funk to keep it rolling, there was a driving funk, like in “Apples,” which featured a Michael Jackson medley and a severe dub jam as well. You gotta like this song. “Snycopated Healing” chilled things out with music to sway to, but “Frankenfoote” picked things up. Dempsey played the keys with his toes on this light, traditional Twiddle song, and one that is easily accessible to rookie fans. The encore began with a truly gracious Mihali giving thanks to the moms in attendance as well as the fans who sold out the Capitol Theatre only an hour before doors opened. With that, fans were treated to a bouncy “Zazu’s Flight” > “Hatti’s Jam” and “When it Rains, it Poors.”

Throughout this truly enjoyable show, the one aspect that I kept returning to was that despite the great deal of talent in the band, both individually and collectively, there are some spots where they play too few notes and could fill in some space, as brief but critical as those spaces may be. A lot of notes isn’t a bad thing.

This show at The Capitol Theatre was enough to wash away any bias and open eyes to see that Twiddle is a reset button on the jam scene, one in which they are strong advocates for the rising stars of the next wave of live bands. The history, the venue, and the centrality of location right off Interstates 95 and 87 led to their biggest NYC area venue show to date. The Beacon is the new goalpost in the continued domination of the band in Northeast markets.

May 10, 2016
Dream Theater Presents ‘The Astonishing’ At Radio City Music Hall

Not too far off Broadway a production hit Radio City Music Hall. Was it a concert? A theatrical production? Yes. A homecoming show for most of the band members, Dream Theater ‘The Astonishing’ tour made a stop at the famed concert hall – a well-fitting venue for this show in particular.

The band veered off their beaten path to try something a little different while delivering the progressive metal sound they helped define. This tour caught some fans off guard at first, disappointed some who had set their own expectations in advance, and grabbed the attention of the rest.

Dream Theater presented their epic rebuttal to Rush’s 2112 and distant cousin of Queensrÿche’s Operation: Mindcrime, The Astonishing, in its entirety. The album was recently released on January 29, making it very fresh with some time still needed to take in the 130-minute long monster. Regardless, a start-to-finish live presentation was quite fitting for a tour in support of the album’s release.

The show had plenty of the staples of a Dream Theater performance: Petrucci carrying out his psycho exercises on guitar, Mangini’s big drum sound, and Rudess’ busy keyboard lines. Given the presentation of the music the show was very scripted and the focus was split on following the story behind the music. Those looking for the typical Dream Theater experience may have found a slice of it but will have to wait until the next tour. They stuck to their guns with presenting just The Astonishing, with no encore of other material.

The story behind The Astonishing is set in a futuristic version of the United States where music is made entirely by machines (NOMACs). Its plot follows the good guys (Ravenskill Rebel Militia) as they try to overthrow the bad guys (Great Northern Empire of the Americas). The progression of the story is told as the songs weave between ballads and Dream Theater’s trademark sound. The album version is fully orchestrated beyond just the five-piece band, something that was perfectly transposed to the stage through live programming.

The live presentation of the story of The Astonishing was well executed. It maintained a balance between concert and theatrics, weighted more heavily toward the concert component. The projections accompanied the music and helped convey the songs rather than taking a place at the forefront of the show. Maintaining the futuristic dystopian appeal the show occasionally felt like a walk-through of the video game Portal. For those who have no idea what that is, let’s leave it that the show had a rather technological feel to it.

Though it was a different show than the typical for Dream Theater, it was an interesting change of pace to have a combination of music and story. Going into the show without a thorough understanding of the story and the right mindset was a slight distraction from the music. Despite this, Dream Theater’s performance of The Astonishing was well thought-out and seeing it a second time would make it more enjoyable than it already was.

May 6, 2016
New York AG Announces Settlement With Ticket Brokers Worth $2.76 Million

As NYS Music reported in January, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman released a report putting the concert ticketing industry on blast. That report found that at least 54 percent of tickets for the biggest shows were being set aside for privileged pre-sale or industry insiders. The report also found ticketing agencies using bots to purchase tickets to be resold at much higher prices on resale sites.

Last week, the AG’s office announced a settlement has been reached with six ticket brokering companies as a result of this report. This week, Schniederman pressured the major players, including StubHub, Ticketmaster and VividSeats, to level the playing field for the general public looking for tickets to big-ticket shows.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman

New York law requires ticket re-sellers to be licensed in the state and prohibits them from using bots to buy tickets for resale. The six firms found to be in violation of state law that are settling with the state on this issue are TicketToad.com, Flying Falco Entertainment of California (doing business as Avery Tickets), Charm City Entertainment, All Events Utah (all out of state) and two New York-based brokers, Just in Time Tickets and A2Z Tix. All but Charm City were found to have used bots in purchasing tickets.

The settlement among the four brokers has thus far totaled $2.76 million. Charm City skated with a $100,000 settlement, while Flying Falco coughed up the largest settlement at $1,125,000.

In a statement, Schneiderman said:

Ticketing is a fixed game. The industry’s tactics prevent New Yorkers from getting tickets at affordable prices, or even getting them at all. Now we are calling on the major industry players to take steps to address these issue.

According to the Daily News, ticket brokers are willing to work with the attorney general. StubHub has issued a response: “We are in receipt of the letter and are currently reviewing the AG’s request.”

In his press release, Schneiderman laid the gauntlet:

Our office has zero tolerance for ticket resellers that use illegal bots to scoop up large numbers of tickets for popular events before consumers can obtain them, and then resell those tickets to those very same consumers at a large markup. New Yorkers deserve a fairer ticket marketplace. Our office will continue to enforce New York’s ticket laws by investigating ticket brokers who are breaking our laws, and making them pay for their illegal acts.

Schneiderman is making the effort and succeeding thus far. It only serves the music industry as a whole for ticket brokers to follow suit. True fans have been getting shut out of tickets for their favorite shows for too long and government is finally catching up with the technology that has kept these fans from those tickets.

Fans can support face-value ticket re-sale by using websites like cashortrade.org.

May 4, 2016
Del the Funky Homosapien ‘Iller Than Most’ Tour Stops in Brooklyn

Del the Funky Homosapien inhabits a world of his own. It’s a world in which George Clinton occupies a role like that of a creator-god and Del with the rest of the Hieroglyphics crew are on a mission to ensure that the forces of funk win over the forces of non-funk in a never-ending cosmic saga.

Luckily for the race of Homosapiens on Earth, Del’s world is accessible to us through his records and live shows. Three years after rebooting the futurist hip-hop group Deltron 3030, Del continues to perform occasionally with that group as well as on his own, performing original music stretching back to 25 years of underground emceeing.

Del’s music is compellingly original. The rapper-producer has admitted in interviews that he listens to very little new music and spends his time working on his own. The result: an unheard of lyrical flow tightly woven over self-produced tracks; it’s a veritable rhythmic tour de force. To be in the presence of such a funky person is humbling. Del fans are dedicated and hang on every cadence that issues forth from the stage at his shows. The opportunity to be among them should not be considered lightly.

Del the Funky Homosapien will manifest his far-out rhyming for one night only at the Brooklyn Bowl on May 7. DJ Shiftee and Sean Anonymous will kick off the show at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are available online through the venue’s website.

May 3, 2016
David Gilmour Mesmerizes NYC for Three Nights at Two World-Famous Concert Halls

After almost immediately selling out one show at Madison Square Garden, the voice of Pink Floyd added a second night, and with the ticket demand still high, added a third night at Radio City Music Hall last month. David Gilmour recently concluded the North American portion of his Rattle That Lock world tour at the two famous NYC concert venues, and the rock legend mesmerized audience members fortunate enough to score tickets for one, two or even all three nights with his iconic guitar work. Photos by Carl Scheffel/MSG Photos

Gilmour’s NYC run began at Radio City on April 10 with many ticket holders still in line outside on 50th St. as he struck the first notes of “5 A.M.” Aside from this minor setback, the experience of this performance was quite special. The acoustics in the 6,000-seat music hall created a big, clean sound that washed over and enveloped every seat. Rather than a typical concert feel, the aesthetics of this performance made it seem like Gilmour was playing an intimate home living room show.

On the other hand, the arena setting of Madison Square Garden created a larger-than-life rock concert atmosphere for Gilmour’s performance. Not as cozy of a setting as Radio City, the crowd feel was looser and livelier. If we were to compare the two venues for an act such as Foo Fighters, MSG would likely claim the title for best event. However, the experience of Radio City was unsurpassed for seeing such a legend as Gilmour.

The set list for all three shows remained the same, save for a swap of “On An Island” and “The Girl in the Yellow Dress” during the second set. While it would have been interesting to hear more variety between each night, there were no complaints in having more opportunities to absorb the solos on “High Hopes” and “Comfortably Numb,” just to name a few. Gilmour’s overall selection of songs covered a palatable range of Pink Floyd classics and his 2006 and 2015 solo releases.

Before claiming disgruntlement for the sets not including more Pink Floyd staples, it’s important to remember that these weren’t Pink Floyd shows, as some MSG concert-goers expected. The new songs appearing on Gilmour’s Rattle That Lock were met with mixed paces of acceptance (typical for an artist’s first live performance of new material), but for the dedicated Gilmour/Pink Floyd fans, his shows hit the mark and lived up to expectations.

The fundamental anticipations of Gilmour’s NYC run were his extraordinary guitar work, performed on his Workmate (1955 Fender Esquire), The Black Strat (1969 Fender Stratocaster) and his Jedson lap steel, among others. Whenever the cue came that Gilmour was about to break into his solo, cheers erupted before he even started. Particularly during “High Hopes,” the audience melted into their seats as Gilmour backed away from the front of the stage to take a seat at his lap steel. Gilmour’s big intro on “Sorrow” knocked everyone back as it inflated Radio City’s art deco ceiling and shook some dust from MSG’s recently renovated canopy. The only disappointment was that “Comfortably Numb” did not last all night.

Joining Gilmour on this tour were many of the musicians who recorded on Rattle That Lock and some who have performed with him on previous tours, including the final Pink Floyd tour. To his right, the Roxy Music alumnus and renowned writer/producer Phil Manzanara complemented Gilmour’s guitar lines. Also joining Gilmour were Jon Carin and Kevin McAlea (keys), Steve DiStanislao (drums), João de Macedo Mello (saxes), Guy Pratt (bass) and Bryan Chambers, Louise Marshall and Lucy Jules (backing vocals). Although Gilmour remained in the spotlight, members from his tight-knit backing band occasionally took the lead or shared part in vocals Chambers’ memorable lead in the chorus of “In Any Tongue.”

On the visual front, lighting designer Marc Brickman and his crew nicely balanced painting a canvas behind the songs without over-dramatizing, and threw in a few clever chases from the lights around the moon screen that played on its geometry. Though the stage took a very similar form to Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell tour in 1994, it fit well for Gilmour’s solo performance.

If Gilmour’s shows were entirely about his guitar work, it wouldn’t be the mark of a well-rounded performance. Several moments throughout the show made it wholesome in that regard. The simple guitar duet “Wish You Were Here” solicited a 6,000- and 18,000-person sing-along (heard all the way down in the Financial District) that joined the audience together early in the set. “Money” took a funky turn after de Macedo Mello’s roaring sax solo as Gilmour doodled over his rhythm section, ending the song in full energy. The driving performances of “Astronomy Dominé” and the vocal call-and-response of Gilmour and Pratt on “Run Like Hell” breathed life into the second set, and also nicely bookended the set with two distinct periods in Pink Floyd history.

MSG may have been particularly subdued for the jazz-driven “The Girl in the Yellow Dress,” but the change in pace showed a songwriting side of Gilmour not seen before and gave de Macedo Mello an opportunity to show his chops in a more conventional setting. On a more serious subject, some found themselves transfixed on the animated video set to “In Any Tongue,” a very powerful and personal song resonating with those affected by recent wars. With so many moments speaking louder than words, we’ll have to wait for a DVD of one of his tour stops to be released to speak for itself (though video of another venue cannot enumerate the experience precipitated by Madison Square Garden and Radio City).

While this will likely be Gilmour’s last big tour as hinted in his Rolling Stone interview last year, it hopefully won’t be the last the U.S. will see of him. After cheers of “David! David!” following “Comfortably Numb” on his final night at MSG, Gilmour concluded his thank-yous with, “we’ll see you again one of these days.” With Roger Waters performing The Wall at Yankee Stadium in 2013 and Gilmour’s three nights in NYC in 2016, many bucket lists for younger Pink Floyd fans now have a few more checkmarks. Regardless of whether or not Gilmour will again gift stages here in New York with his presence, these three nights will be remembered forever.

Gilmour continues his Rattle That Lock tour in Europe, including two nights on July 7 and 8 at the Pompeii Roman Amphitheatre, where Pink Floyd’s Live at Pompeii was recorded, and several evenings at The Royal Albert Hall, London, in September.

Set 1: 5 A.M., Rattle That Lock, Faces of Stone, Wish You Were Here, What Do You Want From Me, A Boat Lies Waiting, The Blue, Money, Us and Them, In Any Tongue, High Hopes

Set 2: Astronomy Dominé, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Fat Old Sun, Coming Back To Life, On An Island*/The Girl In The Yellow Dress**, Today, Sorrow, Run Like Hell

Encore: Time->Breathe (Reprise), Comfortably Numb

*Radio City Music Hall only
**Madison Square Garden only

May 3, 2016
Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon Talks Tour, Family, and More

Sevendust has been around for 20 years, but the last 12 months may have been their biggest yet. The band has attracted a lot of new fans thanks to a well-deserved Grammy nomination. They released their most acclaimed album to date: Kill the Flaw. They just played sold out shows in New Zealand and Australia. And… starting today they are headlining a tour here in the states.

As front man, Lajon Witherspoon said to NYS Music, “This (Sevendust) is a great thing, we can never stop now. After the Grammy nomination it created a spark and it opened the door.” The door has been opened and Sevendust is taking advantage.

This will be the band’s first headlining tour since the Grammy nomination for their song “Thank you,” and if the set lists from Australia are any indication of what’s to come, fans are going to be excited to hear some classics mixed into the new. Lajon said that the band “is not sure of the set list, yet. (It’s hard) setting up and picking a set list with so much music.” But they do plan on tapping into each album, to “make it a true Sevendust experience.”

As for new music, besides Kill the Flaw, the band is constantly coming up with new stuff. LJ explained that “(They) have grown as writers, grown as artists, and grown as men.” They have families now, and take the much needed time away to reset and do things the right way. This keeps the music fresh-minded, and obviously with recent success, relevant. Lajon also squashed any rumors, past or present, of this being the band’s last tour, “we can never stop now, the cats in the band really love each other.”

Time off the road is as important as time on the road, especially with young kids. Lajon welcomed a son into the world in December, and juggled that with the Grammy nomination, a New Years Eve show and planning the New Zealand/Australia and the U.S. tours. Before going on the road, he even fit time in to watch his daughter’s first softball game.

Being an attentive dad and a great musician is in Lajon’s blood. His father was in a disco era band, and he remembers going to see his dad play around Nashville as a young kid. “The instruments were so much bigger. I got to go to sound check and I still remember the colors on the walls and wanting to be an artist.” Those experiences laid the groundwork for Witherspoon’s start in music – initially soul, and then bringing that soul to the metal world. It’s that unique sound that has helped influence many bands in the metal and hard rock scene today, the fusion of soul and metal.

The Kill the Flaw tour consists of thirteen headlining dates and a rock festival nearly every weekend. For the headlining shows, you can expect well over an hour of high-energy rock and roll. Get to the shows early because one of metal’s new stars, Like A Storm, will be opening the shows, and perennial powerhouse, Trivium, is providing direct support. This is a line-up that you can’t miss.

Mark your calendar, the dates are:

Apr. 26 – Baton Rouge, LA @ The Varsity Theatre
Apr. 27 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
Apr. 29 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
Apr. 30 – Fort Myers, FL @ Fort Rock
May 01 – Jacksonville, FL @ Welcome To Rockville
May 03 – New York, NY @ Playstation Theater
May 05 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater
May 07 – Charlotte, NC @ Carolina Rebellion
May 08 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head
May 13 – Clear Lake, IA @ Surf Ballroom
May 15 – Somerset, WI @ Northern Invasion
May 17 – Sioux Falls, SD @ The District
May 18 – Arlington Heights, IL @ Home Bar
May 20 – Columbus, OH @ Rock On The Range
May 21 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
May 22 – Schaghticoke (Albany), NY @ Rock ‘n Derby
May 24 – Flint, MI @ Machine Shop
May 25 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
May 27 – Shreveport, LA @ Riverside Warehouse
May 28 – Pryor, OK @ Rocklahoma

Note: 2016 has been a rough year for music legends, we’ve lost David Bowie, Merle Haggard, Phife Dawg, Glenn Frey, and now Prince. I found out about all the deaths in the normal way, well, the normal way “now” – through social media, except Prince. I found out about Prince’s death from another rock legend, Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon. We were on the phone talking about the upcoming tour, Grammy nominations, and influences. And, like any musician over the past 40 years, Prince touched LJ’s work, and like any music lover over that same time frame, Prince touched my life. When Lajon told me that him and his publicist, Kevin Chiaramonte, just heard Prince passed, I was truly at a lost for words.

April 26, 2016
Slick Rick Becomes a U.S. Citizen

English-born rapper and long-time Bronx resident Ricky “Slick Rick” Martin Lloyd Walters became an American citizen last week in New York after a protracted 23-year battle.

In a statement, Walters said:

I am so proud of this moment – and so honored to finally become an American citizen. This has been a long time coming for me, and I am relieved to finally put this long chapter behind me. I want to thank everyone – my family, friends and fans – who have supported me and stuck by me over these 23 years. I am truly blessed – and stay tuned, I will have more to announce soon.

The rapper rose to fame in the early 1990s on the strength of his storytelling style of rap exhibited on his Def Jam debut The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. The album featured some of Walters’ biggest hits including, “Children’s Story,” “Teenage Love” and “Hey Young World.”

Walters moved to the Bronx from London when he was 11 years old. He quickly became immersed in the hip-hop culture and joined Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew as MC Ricky D soon after finishing high school.

The legal battle behind his citizenship began in 1990 when he was sentenced to prison for the self-defense shooting of his cousin, who had been hired and subsequently fired as his bodyguard. A bystander was also injured in the incident. Walters spent five years in prison on charges of attempted murder and residency issues with Immigration and Naturalization Services.

When released from prison, Walters was threatened with deportation, spending several years in and out of prison. New York Gov. David Paterson granted Walters a full pardon in 2008, clearing the path to citizenship.

Walters has been credited as the most successful British-American rapper and also one of the genre’s most sampled artists. He has collaborated with Jay Z, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot and Outkast.

Walters has dedicated much of his time to mentoring youth and raising funds for issues impacting under-served communities.

Slick Rick embarks on a short spring tour throughout the Midwest and Southeast on May 7. Dates can be found on his website.

April 23, 2016
The New Mastersounds Return to Brooklyn Bowl

The New Mastersounds’ extensive U.S. tour is under way with the first of three concerts at the Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday, coming after a quick appearance at Wannee Festival. Opening a three-night residency on a Thursday gave fans a unique opportunity to see a band deliver a compelling show to a small weeknight crowd while also gearing up for the rest of a big weekend. The jazz-funk quartet from Leeds, UK, was supported by Brooklyn’s own Moon Hooch.

Moon Hooch put on an opening performance that was brimming with creativity and authenticity. Their music is a sort of new wave-influenced EDM brought to life with an arsenal of carefully selected acoustic and electronic instruments. The compositions are rooted in tight dance rhythms precisely metered out by drummer James Muschler. Mike Wilbur’s saxophone melodies typically take the lead while Wenzl McGowen produces womping bass lines using anything from a contrabass clarinet to a baritone sax to a woodwind MIDI controller. Song arrangements did vary in surprising ways, though, such as when
Muschler sat down on the floor of the stage to provide some excellent tabla playing or when Wilbur delivered a dope rap verse. All three members of the trio proved themselves to be versatile and cleverly skilled. Moon Hooch’s set had a spiritual undertone throughout, made explicit at times by slowed down samples of Alan Watts and McGowen’s closing remarks about imaginal cells, which turn caterpillars into butterflies.

The New Mastersounds kicked off their set with characteristic pep and never slowed down for a second. Their brand of bouncy, uptempo jazz riffing was infectious and immutable. Drummer Simon Allen propelled the band with giddy enthusiasm. Bassist Pete Shand was an endless fountain of rhythmic momentum and complex harmony. Some of the most ebullient soloing came from keyboardist Joe Tatton’s organ. Guitarist and bandleader Eddie Roberts defined the character of each tune with a steady cascade of jazz-funk techniques. The set consisted pretty much entirely of cheery, major key groovers. Whatever it may have lacked in emotional range, it more than made up for in intensity. The buzz that the band created was one of pure joy and vigor. Even as the Thursday night crowd began to thin towards the end of the performance, the remaining audience was huddled in front of the stage, soaking in every moment of what came to feel like a very intimate musical experience. The band seemed to be projecting a humble appreciation for the setting and to be gearing up for the remaining shows on Friday and Saturday. These weekend shows are likely to see larger turnout and even more fiery performances from The New Mastersounds.

April 21, 2016
Turkuaz Ends Sold Out 3 Night Run at Brooklyn Bowl

On Saturday April 9, Brooklyn’s own Turkuaz closed out their three-night run to a sold out crowd at Brooklyn Bowl.

After the opening band, Sidewalk Chalk, began heating up the room to a simmer, Turkuaz brought the crowd to full on boil with their opening song “Lika” from their 2015 Digitonium release. Next up was “Chatte Lunatique” off of the Zerbert album, which had the crowd, brass section and backup vocalists bopping up and down in synch. Each band member sported their own signature, color-coded Members Only jacket on stage, reminiscent of a funky bag of Skittles that had somehow taken human form and hypnotized the Brooklyn Bowl. By the fourth song, and their first cover, Sam and Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin’” everyone from the back bar to the front of stage could taste the rainbow as the classic soul tune raged on.

The band took a minute to wipe the sweat from their faces before tackling “Lift It Up” into their most listened-to Spotify tune, “Bubba Slide,” off the Future 86 album. “Who were you two days ago/I’ll be damned if you should know,” are the opening lyrics to “Bubba” and on the third night of transformational Brooklyn run, the words took on a different meaning. There was a feeling in the room that something special was happening. We were witnessing a new brand of funk while simultaneously time-traveling to the golden age of the genre.

The 9-piece jammed on with a few more originals before capping off the first set with their second cover of the night, “I’ve Got a Feeling” by a band founded far away from Williamsburg, The Beatles. Just before the cover began, the audience started to thin out for a fresh beer or cigarette during what was sure to be the break of an already stellar set until they heard the opening riff to this Let it Be classic. People began sprinting back inside to be part of the action and as the cigarette flames were extinguished outside, a new fire started within. Since the last time Turkuaz ignited the Brooklyn Bowl flame in 2015, the band’s sound has evolved through hard work, relentless touring and attention to their craft. Ask any die-hard Turkuaz fan and they will tell you that the band gets better every time you see them in Brooklyn. Smiles covered the group’s faces as they proudly sang the symbolic lyrics “Everybody had a good year, everybody let their hair down, everybody pulled their socks up, everybody put their foot down.” Oh, yeah!

Set two’s energy picked off right where the first left off as Taylor Shell’s bass pumped out an extra groove-able intro to the Digitonium tune, “Doktor Jazz.” As if the band wasn’t hot enough on their own, they called upon James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band) and his saxophone wizardry to add some gasoline to the blaze. The band was just getting started as Casey exited the stage after a short lived, but memorable sit-in. The crowd appeared to have stretched their legs during set break as they put on an all-out dance clinic during the sexy “Desert Island,” “Coast to Coast,” “E.Y.E. (Lookin’ Good)” threesome of originals.

An extended version of “Tired of Talkin’” led the band to show the heavily-breathing crowd mercy after “Digital Love” to cool things down for a moment, well, slightly. As the second set was coming to a close each member was placed under the spotlight during “Gogo, Mr. Dodo,” but especially Shira Elias, who was dressed like a feminine synth pop version of the yellow Power Ranger. She definitely took lead on this second-set highlight as she shook the Brooklyn Bowl with her soulful pipes.

As Sunday morning was officially upon us, the band came out to cover one more song, The Talking Heads, “Take Me To The River.” Since the early days of Turkuaz, it has been no secret that the Heads have been one of the main influences from their tongue-in-cheek lyrics to their strange attire and genre melting sound. “Take Me To The River” may be one of the most covered and influential songs on the jam-band or funk circuit in the past 40 years and this group absolutely nailed their take on the Al Green penned piece. The climax came after the band collectively dropped the crowd into the funky waters of the venue.

Hours after the show ended the caption on the Turkuaz Facebook page reads, “This was truly one of the most special weekends we’ve experienced as a band.” After that power-funk spectacle, it is safe to say that the growing fan base had a pretty special weekend as well.

April 20, 2016