NYS Music 20​16

Category: Regions

  • NYS Music presents Phish SPAC after-parties with Mister F and friends

    Part of the fun in attending a Phish show is often the plans we make for the before and after parties. For those heading to Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) July 1 to 3 to see the boys, you’re now completely covered.

    The Capital Region’s own Mister F will host three nights of after-parties at Nanola in Malta to keep the fun going long after Phish’s encore. Shuttles will be available to and from SPAC – a quick 10-minute ride.

    20160510-phish-spac-after-party-Mister-F

    Mister F recently welcomed Mike Candela as new guitarist to a band that formed in 2013 from regional acts Timbre Coup and Capital Zen.

    While a schedule is to be determined, they will be joined by the McLovins, Lespecial, Strange Machines and Hayley Jane and the Primates.

    Presented by NYS Music, the bread to this Phish sandwich includes pre-parties on Saturday, July 2 and Sunday, July 3.

    Nanola features a full bar, great beer selection and traditional pub fare in addition to creole favorites like jambalaya, oysters and po’ boys.

    Tickets are available in a variety of options. Shows are $10 per night. Shuttles are also $10. A combo pass including all shuttles and after shows is $50.

    Additional details including the daily schedule and ticket information will be announced soon.

  • Catskill Rock: A New Bash at Bearsville Theater

    Catskill Rock! Have you heard of it yet? If not, get ready! A hot new music event has been announced to take place at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock on June 17.

    The popular theater has teamed up with the “mad geniuses” at the White Dove Rockotel to present the first-ever evening of art and entertainment titled Catskill Rock. Sponsored by the Chatham Brewery, this event will not be without cold, tasty refreshments and will feature plenty of arts and music from local bands Burnell Pines and the Grape and the Grain.

    The show is set to kick off at 8 p.m. and tickets are currently only $10.

    Catskill Rock 2016 - Web Flyer - Bearsville Theater

    Burnell Pines is a bearded young artist with an old soul and guitar strapped to his back. Found meandering back roads of the Catskill mountains and creating music while visiting friends and other musicians alike. His latest album, Til the Day I Die, features the help of many great musicians like acclaimed keyboardist Marco Benevento, Rachael Yamagata, and drummers Joe Magistro (The Black Crowes) and Robert Burke (Toshi Reagon).

    The Grape and the Grain is a four-piece rock group from Kingston. A reformation of itself from 2015 which includes three other original members, the band is setting forth a new beginning and already making strides. Their latest EP release is a collection of alternate versions of some of the original songs, titled At Home.

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHQhPPUGJds[/embedyt]

  • Tedeschi Trucks Band Pulls Into Syracuse and Leaves It All On Stage

    As the buses made their way down Montgomery Street towards the Crouse Hinds Theater, The Tedeschi Trucks Band began to prepare for an evening of what would become an epic night of music to a sold out venue in Syracuse.

    Opening the evening to the packed crowd was Amy Helm.  Amy hails from Woodstock and with music in her bloodline, from the moment she took the stage, she began to play and sing and own the crowd.  With her trio of Handsome Strangers, made up of guitarist Daniel Littleton, bassist Byron Isaacs and drummer David Berger, this most talented group of musicians played and sang like a well oiled machine.

    Amy’s style of music can best be described as contagious.  As you watch her perform, it’s as though the music is progressing from her toes, making its way through her body and pouring out with full emotion and electricity.  The versatility of sound she displays is also noteworthy.  Her music fluctuates from soulful and moody to a rockabilly jive with a seamless transition, providing a tantalizing variety of tastes pleasing to everyone. As Helm’s delivery drew the audience in, the rest of the band delivered a one-two punch of a percussive background beat, a funkadelic bass line and sick guitar solos that brought the audience to their feet.  Just as they finished their solos, Amy stepped back up to the mic and hit everyone with a knockout vocal punch, sealing people’s fates as fans forever. To say she is amazing doesn’t seem like quite enough.

    It was the moment she dedicated “Gloryland”, a song taught to her by her father who passed in 2012, to those waiting on the other side that really moved me most.  This acoustic number, in perfect harmony with her Handsome Strangers, sent chills down my spine and left not a dry eye in the audience.  Levon Helm, your daughter is amazing and you taught her well.

    As Helm exited the stage for the main act to appear, the audience grew with anticipation before the lights dimmed and Tedeschi Trucks Band (TTB) took the stage.  This large ensemble took up the whole stage and, although a large production, each member is a specific ingredient within a recipe of musical genius.  With the husband and wife team of Derek Trucks on guitar and Susan Tedeschi on guitar and vocals out in front, they surrounded themselves with some of the most talented musicians in the business.  On keyboards and flute was Kofi Burbridge, drums and percussion featured Tyler Greenwell and J.J. Johnson, bass guitar work was provided by Tim Lefebvre and on harmony vocals was the trio of Mike Mattison, Mark Rivers, and Alecia Chakour.  The horns rounded out the team with Kebbi Williams on saxophone, Elizabeth Lea on trombone and Ephraim Owens on trumpet. This amazing group of musicians are one in themselves talented and together they blended seamlessly, but not overpoweringly, as they accompanied Tedeschi and Trucks on their play out front.

    Never having seen this amazing band before, the bar had been set high from all the hype I’ve heard.  Although eager to see what all the fuss was about, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I purposely didn’t listen to any music beforehand so that my initial response was pure and in the moment.  As they began to play, I was mesmerized by Susan’s voice.  Her no nonsense approach to attacking each note was confident and strong.  She was a woman that knew what she wanted to sing and play and that she did.  As her husband Derek accompanied her on his guitar, the strings would sing.  Together they melded into one sound.

    I would classify TTB as a multi-genre act.  They were funky, bluesy, rocking, and soulful.  They encompassed sounds and transitioned from one sound to the next without effort or pause.  I found Susan Tedeschi’s vocals real and raw. She has the ability to reach in and grab your soul while she sings and plays. As they played “Sky Is Crying” , it was as though she and Derek were making love with their guitars right in front of you.  They matched note for note with a fervor that grew and exploded into one of the most moving pieces of the evening.  I almost felt as though I was intruding on their moment and witnessing something meant for just the two of them. It was spectacular.

    It was apparent all night that as they played, these fans in the audience were just as in love with them as I was.  My favorite moment of the night was when Tedeschi asked her singer Alecia Chakour and Amy Helm to join her onstage for “Color of the Blues”, an amazing acoustic number.  There was so much talent in that group that it blew me away.

    It was an honor to cover this show and now I get it.  I get the hype, the build up and the all the legends I had heard.  The show was amazing and definitely lived up and surpassed my expectations.

    Setlist Tedeschi Trucks Band: Laugh About It, Anyhow, I Want More, Midnight in Harlem, Just As Strange, Right on Time, Let Me Get By, Sky is Crying, Color of the Blues (joined by Amy Helm and Alecia Chakour), Keep on Growing, Going Down to Mexico, Bound for Glory, Idle Wind. Encore: Don’t Let Me Slide, I Cannot Make It

  • Misfits and Danzig to Reunite

    After over 30 years, Glenn Danzig will join Jerry Only and the Misfits on stage for the first time since their breakup in 1983. What fans call “The Original Misfits” — Danzig, Only and long-time guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, will grace the stage together at this years Riot Fest.

    Misfits Poster

    Riot Fest will take place in Denver, on Labor Day weekend Sept. 2-4 at the National Western Complex, then once again in Chicago two weeks later Sept. 16-18 in Douglas Park. The rest of lineup that will appear at Riot Fest has yet to be announced.

    After the band split, members got into a legal battle over The Misfits name. Jerry Only won the rights to tour and record under the name The Misfits in 1990. Danzig found success on his own when he started his self titled band Danzig. Danzig appeared on the first two Misfit studio albums before releasing his first solo studio album Danzig, in 1988. Danzig went on to release ten studio albums after his Misfit days including his current album Skeletons, which was released in 2015. The Misfits didn’t release a studio album after Danzig split until 1997 when they released Static Age, and released a total of five studio albums after Danzig.

    Just like some other bands that have recently reunited in 2016, many fans thought they would never see this day especially after the two sides have sued each other over the years multiple times. The reunion will mark the first time that three-quarters of the band will perform together since the bands most notable Walk Among Us album, released in 1982. Following the band’s breakup, Doyle has performed with both The Misfits and Danzig over the years after the two separated their ways. The Misfits formed in 1977.

  • Cabaret and DJ Seycel at Fabrica de Arte Cubano: NYS Music Goes to Cuba

    NYS Music goes to Cuba is a multi-part series detailing Cuban music and culture, the impact of Western music on Cuban music and the potential for change given the recent pending normalization of relations between The United States and Cuba.

    Let me get something out of the way: Cuba, a Caribbean island that until recently was illegal for Americans to visit, is not going to be ruined by the influx of Americans and tourists now that travel is (somewhat) permitted between the two countries. There will be some change in time, as all things are prone to change, but Cuba is not changing drastically as a result.

    That was my mindset when initially considering a trip to discover what music was hidden away from American ears on the island, in the clubs and on the streets of Havana. It took about a day before I realized that while there will be some cultural influence shared between the two countries, Americanization will not take foothold to the degree some predict.

    A time capsule of a city, Havana is a dichotomy of beautiful and tattered buildings side-by-side, where Wifi is slowly becoming available – thanks in part to President Obama’s recent visit (per Cuban’s who expressed their admiration for him), an upgrade for citizens in and around Havana – and examples of entrepreneurship are seen on a daily basis, with hostels popping up throughout the city (if you go, we recommend Enzo’s Backpackers), and merchants selling Rolling Stones shirts with the Cuban flag on the iconic ‘tongue’ logo. Even the filming of Fast and the Furious 8 shows signs of things changing in the city, but the original spirit and heart of Havana are intact and will assuredly remain so for years to come, even as the curio closed off to Americans for 55 years prepares for tourists fresh off cruise ships beginning to dock in Havana Harbor.

    Fabrica de Arte Cubano

    Staying in a tall apartment building overlooking Estadio Latinoamericano, on the evening of our arrival, my photographer and longtime friend Chris and I head out to Fabrica de Arte Cubano, a former cooking oil factory transformed into a multi-level center for the arts, including a multimedia art gallery and performance spaces for dance, music and theater. The creation of musician X Alfonso, with the backing of the Ministry of Culture, the venue is labyrinthine, with something around every corner, whether it be live performances, gallery pieces, performance art, or a Bohemian gathering of locals and tourist from across the globe sipping on drinks, it was a welcome surprise for our first night observing local culture and taking in as yet-undetermined musical offerings.

    The first floor held a 500 person room with a DJ setup for later that evening, the entire room having a 90s dorm room feel and soundtrack – Black Crowes and Jay Z videos on a large screen, with décor to rival that of many clubs back home. Upstairs in the art gallery, odd photography is meshed with paint and various media, while a series of old, naked women on the beach with breasts exposed highlights the beauty of aging.

    We head down into the largest room in the complex and find a drink and seat for a performance, which is first come, first serve and wherever you can manage to find a sit – a step, a chair, behind a riser… the area filled in calmly with a little buzz before “Night Club” began.

    Fabrica de Arte Cubano

    As the cabaret begins, a cue card girl holds up different numbers for the scenes, with scenes unfolding as such: a female lounge singer with a gritty voice welcomed the crowd; a woman performed a sultry tap dance; a male lounge singer sang a Salsa song; some interpretative tap dancing,; a guy in a tutu performing ballet with vibraphone and percussion as a backup; a woman with a fruit basket giving a confusing yet definitely suggestive performance; a simulated girl fight, and a full cast medley at the end. The audience talked and milled about, becoming part of the show passively, actively and unintentionally.

    While we were in the minority with our nascent Spanish, even without knowing what they are saying or singing, you easily got the gist of the show through body language, scenery and context – the club is open for business, the various employees sing about the club, their work, drama ensues, drama is resolved, everyone dances, everyone is happy. It could be an episode of Sabado Gigante but it’s better. It’s not TV. It’s FAC.

    Following the show, we head downstairs in Fabrica de Arte Cubano to the first room with the great décor. DJ Seycel comes on about midnight and the younger portion of the crowd remains for a house set with deep bass and various Latin and American hits mixed in. The main takeaway from the night is the overall focus on the music – hardly any phones are out beyond a photo here and there. No one is staring at their phone, and there are no glowsticks or candi kids, just straight dancing to the music. I miss that about shows back home – the focus and pure attention and dedication to the artist and his craft. I for one am guilty of that, and having no internet access for 8 days of travel is a very welcome vacation in itself.

    We later find that this first glance at Havana and Cuban culture is not a diamond in the rough, but clearly one of the most unique multi-purpose venues that embraces a wide variety of art like few do. Fabrica de Arte Cubano brought to mind the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, where numerous museums and performance spaces are found in one large enclosed area. Here in Havana, it is a sought after venue in the evening, open until 4am with lines forming early.

    Performances starting at Midnight or later is something that we slowly get used to, and this later start time found between American and Havanan clubs is a cultural apparatus, where clubs do not begin to fill up until 11pm, and some shows not starting until as late as 1am, as we find out the next night in our pursuit of Salsa.

  • X Ambassadors Play to a Sold out Town Ballroom

    Tuesday in the heart of the Buffalo theater district Town Ballroom had a sold out crowd that was going to be highly entertained by X Ambassadors and some top of the line indie bands. Sara Hartman was the opener for the night; she is originally stems from NY but moved to Berlin in recent years. She brought her Berlin band mates with her as they were fresh off the plane. Despite having a couple technical difficulties they still put on a solid performance. I expect to see great things from her in the coming years.

    Savoir Adore was co headliners Tuesday and it was like something I haven’t quite experienced before. They are mixture of pop and indie. Main vocalist Hammer was highly energetic and combined with Muros soft voice it reminds me of the chemistry between Leah Fay and Peter Dreimanis of July Talk. The other band mates sing as well and for the most part it blends and is pleasing to the ear, but some of it was a little overdone and not necessary for everyone to be joining in.

    X Ambassadors—a soul funk band who started out in Ithaca, NY. If Sam Harris wasn’t enough to look at, his brother Casey Harris, over on the keyboard certainly was. I give him a notable mention for executing dinosaur-like; leg pounding dance moves while pulverizing the keys for the entire duration the show.
    Sam started playing the sax on Love Songs Drug Songs, proving that everyone loves some saxophone. Harris told the crowd that if they knew the lyrics to Renegades to sing along and the maybe the audience had just seen the Jeep commercial enough but during the chorus enough people actually sang the words to let Harris hold the microphone out to them. You could definitely distinguish by the participation of the crowd who have been lifelong members or Ambassadors to those who only know their top hits.

    Regardless of how long you have been following them everyone walked away entertained that night by the high energy performance they put out.

  • Marco Benevento Bringing Fred Short to Upstate New York

    Marco Benevento, touring in support of his recently released half-concept/half dance-inflicted rock anthems album The Story of Fred Short, will make a run through upstate New York this week. Of the new album, the LA Times says, Marco “continues a rewarding effort to straighten his twisted sound into the guise of an indie-rock singer-songwriter, harnessing his inventive sonic palette into rewardingly bite-size pop songs that touch on disco and soul” while Boulder Weekly calls it “a swirling pastiche of deep grooves, buoyant pop filigrees and grinding old-school psychedelic reveries.”

    fred shortBenevento has been keeping busy with sporadic dates in Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, playing with The Arcs and The Barr Brothers, and gearing up for the long-awaited reunion of the Duo. But his main focus has been his solo band, which features fellow JRAD-ian Dave Dreiwitz on bass and Andy Borger on drums. Seeing Benevento’s solo performances is to catch him in his element.

    Starting on Thursday at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester, the band will continue to Hector at the Stonecat on Friday the 13th (watch out!) before hitting the Tralf Music Hall in Buffalo on Saturday night. Rochester’s own Mikaela Davis will open the shows with her gorgeous and unique harp-lead indie folk rock. And who knows, maybe she’ll even sit in with Benevento for a song or two, like she did recently in Brooklyn.

  • Star-Studded ‘Modern Vaudeville’ to Benefit Woodstock Day School

    What began as a senior project for high schooler Diggy (Elijah) Lessard has transformed into a celebrity event at Woodstock Day School.

    This month, a star-studded cast of actors, musicians and the like will perform in “Modern Vaudeville” to benefit the Kingston school’s music program. The one-night only event is scheduled for Sun., May 22 at 7 p.m. at BSP Lounge Kingston.

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    Lessard has plans to attend Sarah Lawrence (Class of 2020), and created the original theatrical production as part of his WDS graduation requirement. The show has garnered guest stars like Diggy’s father, bassist Stefan Lessard of the Dave Matthews Band, as well as Bobby Tisdale of Bob’s Burgers and the Hudson Valley’s own Marco Benevento. Other featured performers include burlesque artist Veronica Varlow, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not magician Albert Cadabra and the Strangecoats. More well-known names are expected to be added to the lineup, too.

    “Modern Vaudeville” is based on the short story “The Scarlet Ibis,” which Diggy Lessard read in 10th grade and was immediately drawn to its theme of “brothers and the fierce love between siblings.” The variety show will be a staging of art forms from circus to comedy to dance, music, magic and drama.

    “I have such a huge connection and passion for performing,” Lessard said in a press release. “And I wanted to put on a unique and special show. My parents introduced me to this genre of entertainment and I was hooked.”

    When creating his project, Lessard set a fundraising goal of $20,000 with creative sponsorship perks for local businesses like original advertisement jingles starring the Strangecoats. The collective house band includes drummer Jason Bowman (Five Points Band), Peter Dougan (WDS music teacher), Will Bryant (Connor Kennedy/Gene Ween Does Billy Joel), Amy Helm, Simi Stone, singer/songwriter Elizabeth Mitchell (Ida), Acacia Bowman (Five Points Band), Lisa Green (co-founder of The Paul Green Rock Academy) and Lessard’s father, Stefan, along with fellow Rock Academy students. So far, several thousand dollars’ worth of sponsorships have already been sold.

    Tickets for the PG-13 “Modern Vaudeville” show are $10 in advance and $15 at the door and can be purchased online here. Check out this rehearsal video for a 15-second preview of “The Scarlet Ibis.”

  • 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.

    2016 Tony Award 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 70th 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

  • 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.

    Twiddle Tauk Holly Bowling

    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.