NYS Music 20​16

Tag: Music News

  • Syracuse ‘Fund the Bern’ Concert Raises $16,000

    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.

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    Photo by Carol Thoryk O’Leary

    Syracuse musicians Joe Driscoll and Charley Orlando organized the grassroots event to raise awareness about Sanders’ platform and registering to vote

    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.

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    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.

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    Photo by Dave Frisina

    Bern Bern Bern Bern Bern Bern Bern Bern Bern Bern

  • Lemmy to Live on as an Element on the Periodic Table?

    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.

  • Second Annual Winter Warm Up at The Linda Announced

    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.

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  • State Fair Grandstand to Be Imploded Saturday

    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:

    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 of Steely Dan Charged with Assault

    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.

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    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.

  • Alchemy Rising Festival Presents an Amalgamation of Music, Art and Outdoor Exploration

    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.

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    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.

  • Some Kind of Jam 11 Announces Lineup

    Some Kind of Jam 11, which will be taking place April 22-24 in Schuykill Haven, Pennsylvania, has announced its initial lineup.

    The three-day event takes place just 20 miles northwest of Reading and will feature four stages and 31 musical acts. Since 2005, Jibberjazz festivals has been hosting the event. Headliners the New Mastersounds will offer their unique blend of funk/soul/jazz fusion, while the recently reunited RAQ brings an added element of excitement to the bill. Buffalo groove rock masters Aqueous were also announced.

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    The weekend will include a variety of music including jam, funk, bluegrass, folk, blues, rock, reggae and jazz. In addition to live music, festival-goers will have many activities to choose from including various workshops, light shows, fire performances and yoga. The family friendly event will also include a kids’ area and activities.

    The weekend event is located on a 60-acre fairground that includes indoor and outdoor stages, camping, permanent restrooms and showers as well as nature trails, trout fishing and electricity access for RVs. Additional information about the festival, venue and tickets is available through Jibberjazz.

    Complete Some Kind of Jam 11 Line-Up
    THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS
    RAQ
    JASON RICCI & THE BAD KIND
    MIKE DILLON BAND
    BANDITOS
    AQUEOUS
    THE BIG DIRTY
    SHOKAZOBA
    GANG OF THIEVES
    BLACK MASALA
    CAPTAIN GREEN
    ON THE SPOT TRIO
    YOSEMIGHT
    DESMOND JONES
    THE PLATE SCRAPERS
    THE JAKOB’S FERRY STRAGGLERS
    STRANGE MECHANICS
    THE HAWK OWLS
    LOVANOVA
    HEXBELT
    THIS WAY TO THE EGRESS
    APPALACHIAN GYPSY TRIBE
    BONZO TERKS
    UNCLE JAKE & THE 18 WHEEL GANG
    KATE VARGAS & THE RECKLESS DAUGHTERS
    COSMIC COWBOY SOWING CIRCLE
    HEZEKIAH JONES
    MATEO MONK
    GILLIAN GROGAN
    OLDS SLEEPER
    KNITEBITCH

  • Bisco Inferno Returns to Colorado

    Fresh off of their celebrated New Year’s run in New York City, the Disco Biscuits are slated to once again descend upon Colorado for four nights of shows with Bisco Inferno, and bring a few special guests in tow.

    This summer, the Philadelphia-based four-man jamband — Allen Aucoin (drums), Marc Brownstein (bass, vocals), Jon Gutwillig (guitar, vocals) and Aron Magner (keyboards, vocals) — will play three shows at the Ogden Theatre in Denver on June 1 through 3, followed by a performance at the Morrison, Colorado, venue with Ghostland Observatory and Twiddle on Saturday, June 4.

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    The Disco Biscuits’ Colorado run last April featured Break Science and Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead (who the band has teamed up with in the past for Gathering of the Vibes) to sold-out crowds who were treated to many collaborations of Dead cover songs.

    While other acts might be added to the lineup, Bisco Inferno 2016 guests Ghostland Observatory from Austin and Vermont-based Twiddle currently share the Red Rocks bill with the Disco Biscuits; past guests have included Big Boi of OutKast and Israeli trance band Infected Mushroom. A duo that has been a rare sighting since their 2013 parting, Ghostland Observatory has released four albums to date, with the latest being Codename: Rondo (2010), and they last performed together at Euphoria Festival in April. And the multi-genre jam quartet Twiddle is currently on tour in support of PLUMP and most recently rang in the New Year with three sold-out nights in Burlington.

    Pre-sale tickets for this year’s Colorado shows are set to be available at noon on Jan. 6 through the band’s website and on sale to the general public this Friday, Jan. 8; ticket packages must be purchased for the Ogden Theatre shows. Prior to Bisco Inferno, the Disco Biscuits’ current list of dates features stops in Philadelphia and appearances at the Aura Music and Arts Festival in Live Oak, Florida, and Atlanta’s SweetWater 420 Festival.

  • Bernie Worrell Diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer

    Bernie Worrell, keyboardist and founding member of Parliament Funkadelic, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, his wife and manager, Judie, announced.

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    The announcement was made through a post to Worrell’s Facebook page:

    I have not wanted to share this information with anyone this soon. But, I am being told “people around the world LOVE Bernie, they would help if they knew”. We shall see: Bernie is suffering from 4th Stage Lung Cancer. He wants his album released in his lifetime (if you have not already, please go to the indiegogo page (see Kevin’s posts for the actual URL). Then, we will address trying to find a cure for him. … Please say whatever you have to say to whichever Diety/Great Spirit/Allah/God/Jehovah in whom you believe — and should Bernie be appearing somewhere GO SEE HIM…..just don’t talk about this to him. It is totally overwhelming for him and he does NOT want a lot of emotional histrionics.

    Worrell is best known for his work with Parliament Funkadelic and use of the Moog synthesizer to create their futuristic sound. He was also a de facto member of the Talking Heads through much of the ’80s, performing on two of their albums, the studio album Speaking in Tongues and the live album Stop Making Sense, and touring with the band.

    More recently he has been touring with his Bernie Worrell Orchestra, which features a rotating lineup of musicians that have included Steve Kimock and Andy Hess. In 2015, he appeared as the keyboardist in Meryl Streep’s fictional band in her movie Ricki and the Flash.