NYS Music 20​17

Category: News

  • CANCELED: Moriah Formica Added to Times Union Center’s Gala Celebration and Re-Opening

    The major concert celebrating the Times Union Center‘s grand re-opening has been canceled, according to the Times Union.

    The concert was to feature James Taylor, John Legend, Jim Belushi and Moriah Formica, a 15 year-old Albany-Shaker High student who recently competed on NBC’s The Voice, in a celebration of the arena’s $20 million dollar upgrade.

    The general manager for Times Union Arena, Bob Belber, cited the promoter’s failure to pay its deposit for the event. Metropolitan Entertainment Consulting from New York City was the event promoter with SMG, the arena’s management company listed as co-promoter.

    Belber said another event with well-known performers will be planned for later in the year.

    Upstate New York has seen its fair share of musicians from the area do amazing things on various singing competition shows over the last couple of years. The most current local artist to make waves in the music industry after her strong performance on “The Voice,” Moriah Formica, has been added to the artist lineup for the grand re-opening of the Times Union Center in Albany on Jan. 26.

    As part of team Miley Cyrus, the Albany Shaker High School teen made it to the show’s playoffs. She turned heads with her rock sound on the show and while performing shows around the Capital District. The multi-talented singer not only plays guitar she can also slam behind the drum kit and play some sweet melodies on a keyboard.

    After seeing Formica perform, Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale said “One of the few great hopes for female rock singers of the next generation. Absolutely incredible!!  I’m so honored and proud of this 15 year old powerhouse!! Don’t ever quit singing, Darlin’!” Formica released her debut EP of original material Bring It On, in 2016. It showcases her many talents, adding songwriting into the mix.

    Formica will join a  Times Union Center Gala Celebration lineup that includes 10-time Grammy award winner John Legend, five-time Grammy award winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, James Taylor, and legendary comedian Jim Belushi. Tickets are on sale and cost between $62-$192 before fees.

    The Times Union Center will showcase it’s first phase of a 30 million dollar renovation. The once outside atrium, is now enclosed and carpeted, with a tall rain wall, glass elevators, and seating. The venue sports a new modern look, and a new media area that will accommodate coverage for larger sporting events like the upcoming 2018 NCAA women’s basketball regionals and the 2020 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. The renovations have also connected the arena to the Empire State Plaza, and the Albany Capital Center. Phase two of the project will concentrate on painting the entire inside of the arena, and upgrading the private suites and concession areas.

  • Madison Theater to Close for Cleaning, Potential Sale

    In a recent Times Union article, the 88-year-old Madison Theater in Albany, will close January 1 for an extensive wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling cleaning and improvements.

    Founder and president of Tierra Farm, Gunther Fishgold, who owns the Madison Theater and its two connected businesses hinted at two potential buyers for the property. The two potential independent interested parties plan to keep the Madison a theater. There is some talk that one of the interested players will make the venue into a “mixed community space” for live performances. Tierra will announce any potential deal near the end of January.

    Fishgold commented on the upcoming potential sale, “I really can’t be specific, but I have a couple of interesting deals in front of me that would keep the integrity of the theater and be much more responsive to the community.”

    The Madison opened in 1929. Tierra purchased the building in Sept. 2013. The company spent over a million dollars on a new outside marquee along with several other exterior and interior upgrades.

    Keeping the integrity of the historic movie venue is important to Fishgold, which almost became a CVS Pharmacy drive-through in 2004. He said Tierra’s main objective was to always save and preserve the historic place more than making money. He stated, “It’s not a money-maker. It’s never been a money-maker for me … It really was a placeholder for someone who could come in and do a better job than we could, as a nut-and-fruit company running a theater.”

    Fishgold also talked about the possibility of what would happen if both potential deals fell through. He said he would figure out a way to continue to operate the venue and may lease parts of the building, rather than try to operate several different businesses under the same umbrella. When talking about the other businesses attached to the building, Fishgold said: “Someone’s gonna run a better coffee shop than I run. Someone’s gonna run a better restaurant than I run. No one’s gonna run a better nut business than me, but all three of those – theater, restaurant and coffee shop – can be done much better. It’s such a thriving neighborhood. I’m not doing it justice.”

    Asked whether he would just abandon the venue: “No, I don’t want to leave the community high and dry after all I did to this space. And I won’t, I won’t.”

  • Save the Date: The Disco Biscuits Announce Camp Bisco 2018

    It’s no secret that the Disco Biscuits are touring, improvisational machines. The trance-fusion foursome offers their die-hard fan base countless opportunities to catch them on the road throughout the year, even if they tend to favor the East Coast, their home base in Philadelphia, PA and the renowned Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. What remains annually constant, is their long-running Montage Mountain mania. Camp Bisco is now boasting a ‘save the date’ and offering alumni pre sale tickets to bring your ass to the party, taking place from July 12-14, 2018.

    After being held in a total of four different locations and taking a break in 2014, Magner, Barber, Brownie and Allen will bring their flair to Montage Mountain, with Scranton acting as the festival’s residence for the fourth consecutive year. While freshly crafted festivals are popping up each year, Camp Bisco managed to hold its own, on and off since ‘99. With its 16th festival and year in operation, the recurring party provides six Biscuits sets, mesmerizing laser shows, abundant art and camping, cool downs in the pool, 5k marathons, zany color wars and other activities over the course of three jam-packed days. Although hosted and heavily based around the Biscuits, fans favoring a multitude of genres, specifically electronic dance music, find their way to the mountain. In the past, favorable acts have included STS9, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Gramatik, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Lotus and more.

    Partying isn’t the only thing taking precedence over the weekend, the quartet makes sure they give back to the community by promoting fundraising and food drives, having raised money for hurricane relief and even gathering young fans to register to vote.

    An alumni pre-sale begins this Thursday, Dec. 21 at noon at the Camp Bisco website with the password: ALUMNI. You can catch The Disco Biscuits for the last time in 2017 at NYC’s Playstation Theater from Dec. 28-31.

    The Camp Bisco 2018 lineup is still TBA but check out the official 2017 aftermovie and NYS Music’s coverage of last year’s fest here to hold you over:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULVS34FlHus

  • NYC Venues Collaborate with Live Nation to Create New Booking & Promotions Company

    This week, the owner of Bowery Ballroom and Live Nation Entertainment announced the creation of a new booking and promotions venture called Mercury East Presents. The strategic move will allow for pooling of resources. The partnership aims to improve the delivery of high-quality entertainment to music lovers in NYC.

    This venture brings clubs and theaters owned by Swier and Live Nation together under one marketing umbrella, including Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom, Irving Plaza, Gramercy Theatre, Warsaw and Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk. Mercury East Presents plans to continue to expand the network over time and capitalize on partnerships which strengthen the city’s live entertainment industry.

    The foundation of Mercury East reaffirms our commitment to quality and streamlines production by officially uniting the venues we own and operate with our key partners,” says Michael Swier, co-founder of Mercury East, the Bowery Ballroom, the Mercury Lounge, and other venues. “The team behind Mercury East remains focused on cultivating bands throughout all stages of their success, as well ensuring audiences have a premium experience, from ticket purchase to show’s end.”

    Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge have long been cornerstones of the New York music scene. They’ve attracted the best in local, national and international talent to perform for intimate audiences at their historic locales.

    Swier and his team are the total package, delivering industry expertise, relationships, and landmark venues that
    complement the greater Live Nation portfolio,” said Michael Rapino, President and CEO, Live Nation Entertainment.
    “Mercury East is the ideal partnership, and will allow Live Nation to bring New York’s residents and visitors more
    music and events than ever before.”

    Visit the Mercury East Presents website for upcoming events at all five venues. Follow on the newly created Mercury East Presents social media sites for updates: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

  • Cal Kehoe Collaborates with Tom Marshall on New Track, ‘Marilyn’

    ‘Marilyn’ from Cal Kehoe, with Tom Marshall, is light, airy and a pleasant thing to have stuck between your ears. I mean that in a good way, the chorus is a bit of an earworm.  At face value, the video and music elegant and emotional, but dig a little bit deeper and listeners will find that the creation of this piece makes it more even more spine-tinglingly good. The production quality is top notch. The song moves effortlessly, making it a great piece of work to add their resume. Before we get into the music itself, there’s a small history lesson to be learned first.

    The song was conceived by Cal Kehoe, Tom Marshall,  Anthony Krizan of the Spin Doctors and independent artist Sherman Ewing. Kehoe says this is the second song a series of tracks that he collaborated on. He will be releasing more tracks over the course of the next few months. Kehoe spoke about the tracks and video’s conception.

    Tom and I met at Madison Square Garden at a Phish show in 2009. We began talking about music, favorite guitar players, favorite Phish songs, etc. I stayed in touch with Tom and we became friends . Last year, I was playing a VIP side stage in Hartford, CT where Phish was performing and Tom came to see my band. He was impressed enough with my guitar work and vocals that he offered to work with me on some original compositions.

    I wrote music for 5 or 6 different songs, until one finally resonated with Tom. That song became “Limbo”, which was loosely based on the Netflix series, “Stranger Things.” During the collaborative process, Tom sent me an unfinished demo he had written with Anthony Krizan and Sherman Ewing.  I began to write and work with Tom on the demo he sent and that song evolved into the final product – “Marilyn”. From there, Tom and I went down to Anthony Krizan’s studio in New Jersey and began recording some vocals and guitar. Tom and his daughter Anna Marshall appear as the background singers on the song “Marilyn”.

    We completed the recording at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, CT  with Greg Giorgio (mixing, production for The National, Trey Anastasio, Kurt Vile, etc.) with the help of Rob Allen (formerly of Augustines) on drums and Crispin Cioe (the Uptown Horns, Rolling Stones) on saxophone.

    It’s an incredible thing when musicians of different strokes come together and create a beautiful piece of music.  The song is truly beautiful and the video footage accompanying the track further proves that point. Dancers grace the stage and perform an elegant routine that matches perfectly with the songs tone.

    The song somewhat differs from his prior work, although there are still traces of his earlier characteristics. It’s jammy with some rock feel but this track leans more towards easy-listening elements. It boasts some sultry saxophone, open chords on an acoustic guitar in the background and one of the catchiest chorus riffs you’ll hear.  Most impressive is his guitar solo in this track and across most of his tracks. Every note is logical and fitting for the style, even though it seems he’s trying to break into a scene that thrives off of ten minute guitar solos. He stays humble, wails high up on the fret board for a few bars and backs off. It’s perfect for the genre and revealing in its modesty.

    It seems he’s found a great group of artists that he works well with and initial signs show it’s going to really pay off. Keep track of his newest releases on his YouTube channel, personal page and Facebook page.

  • Pat DiNizio, Smithereens Frontman, Dead at 62

    Pat DiNizio, founding member of New Jersey’s Smithereens, died Tuesday Dec. 12 according to a statement from his bandmates. He was 62. The cause of death was not disclosed.

    DiNizio’s death was announced on the band’s Facebook page Tuesday night.

    Formed in 1980 in Carteret, New Jersey, DiNizio, Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken and Mike Mesaros strung together a series of popular alternative songs in the late ’80s and early ’90s that included “A Girl Like You,” “Only a Memory,” “Behind the Wall of Sleep” and “Blood and Roses.” The band’s charged power pop sound was informed by the early British Invasion bands and the early rock of Buddy Holly. DiNizio’s smooth baritone vocals provided the signature sound of the band while his beatnik-style goatee and flipped up cap, a signature look.

    In addition to his work with the Smithereens, Pat DiNizio released several solo albums, produced an independent film, King Leisure and dabbled in politics, running for a U.S. Senate seat from New Jersey on the Reform Party ticket in 2000. He finished fourth in that race.

    Pat DiNizioDiNizio had recently suffered health issues from a series of falls that injured his back and neck. The most recent fall in September prompted the singer to reassure fans he was on the mend in a post to the band’s Facebook page,

    REPORTS OF MY DEMISE HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED! I SUFFERED A BAD FALL IN THE HOME THE OTHER DAY AND INJURED MYSELF, BUT TRUST ME, I’M NOT ON MY DEATHBED OR ANYWHERE NEAR IT:-I AM HURT, HOWEVER, RECEIVING GREAT MEDICAL CARE, BUT HAVE BEEN ORDERED BY MY PHYSICIANS TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF TO INSURE A COMPLETE AND HEALTHY RECOVERY, SO,,WE’VE GOT TO TAKE SOME TIM E OFF FROM THE ROAD SO THAT I CAN GET BETTER, WE’LL BE RESCHEDULING A FEW DATES SO THAT I CAN HEAL PROPERLY.

    The band mourned the loss of their bandmate Tuesday night, “Our journey with Pat was long, storied and a hell of a lot of fun. We grew up together. Little did we know that we wouldn’t grow old together.
    Goodbye Pat. Seems like yesterday.”

  • Twiddle Announces Headlining Evening at Red Rocks

    Vermont based jam band Twiddle has announced their headlining debut at famed venue Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado.  Twiddle will perform two sets on Star Wars day, Friday, May 4. Twiddle will also share the stage with California based  roots/reggae/dub outfit Stick Figure. Florida based world beat/indie band the Hip Abduction will play in support.

    Twiddle has graced the Red Rocks stage twice in support of String Cheese Incident (2015) and the Disco Biscuits(2016).  Their 2017 show with moe. was cancelled after moe. announced a hiatus while bassist Rob Derhak underwent treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer.

    The announcement comes as Twiddle hits the road in 2018 along with Stick Figure and Iya Terra for sixteen dates.  Twiddle has had a stellar year in 2017 and continued to make headlines.  The year was highlighted by a showing on the Billboard charts as their much-anticipated release PLUMP debuted at #6 on the Alternative New Artist Album charts and a sit-in from Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh at the band’s Tumble Down Music Festival.

    Self-taught musician Scott Woodruff writes, produces and records  under the moniker, Stick Figure. Woodruff tours with a full band to craft his live shows. His latest release, Set in Stone, has solidified the musician’s vision of a new melodic subgenre.

    The Hip Abduction toured in support of Twiddle during August and September of 2017.  The vibrant St. Petersburg, FL-based collective celebrates a mutual appreciation for West African and early Jamaican reggae/dub music.

    Twiddle Fan Club and AEG presales are available online as of the announcement.  Several pre-sale VIP packages are available with options including a special VIP performance at Red Rocks on Thursday, May 3. General on sale goes live on Friday, December 15 at Noon EST.

  • Aqueous Announces Gorillaz NYE Theme

    Buffalo groove rockers Aqueous will be making their Town Ballroom headlining debut this New Year’s Eve.  In anticipation of the evening, the Buffalo based quartet has announced that in addition to their own catalog, they will be dedicating a set of music to the English virtual band, Gorillaz.

    aqueous gorillaz“AQ draws from many different bands’ catalogs for inspiration, and the Gorillaz catalog is one that all four of us are HUGE fans of,” noted Aqueous frontman and guitarist Mike Ganzter via press release.  “Their catalog integrates four styles of music that we all love: hip-hop, rock, punk and electronic, and once the idea got thrown out there to do a Gorillaz themed set, it was clear that that was the vibe we wanted to really set our NYE party over the top!”

    This past March, Aqueous made their performance debut at the Town Ballroom opening in support of Vermont’s genre fusing jam band, Twiddle.  As AQ steps into the headlining position to close out 2017, Ganzter reveals the evening’s importance to the band. “This city has so much love for us and has supported us on a really profound level at every turn,” he said. “We’re coming into this gig with true gratitude and a mission to deliver in a big way at a venue that we all grew up seeing our favorite bands perform at.”

    Buffalo post-rock art band Lazlo Hollyfeld has been added in support.

    On Thanksgiving eve, Ganzter stopped by the Lazlo Hollyfeld annual Thanksgiving Eve show for an unannounced sit-in.  Besides their own unique brand of musical stylings, Lazlo Hollyfeld is also known for their perfected tribute sets, including performances of the Talking Heads, Radiohead and most recently, Arcade Fire.

    Aqueous is currently finishing up a nearly three month tour of the greater United States before retuning home to celebrate the New Year with their hometown fans. AQ will kick off 2018 with performances on Jam Cruise as well as tour in support of Papadosio for recently announced dates in February and March.

    Tickets for Aqueous’ NYE Gorillaz bash at Hometown Ballroom are $20 in advance and are still.

    Aqueous Upcoming Tour Dates

    Dec. 6 – Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge
    Dec. 8 – Fort Collins, CO – Hodi’s Half Note
    Dec. 9 – Frisco, CO – The Barkley Ballroom
    Dec. 12 – Davenport, IA – Redstone Room
    Dec. 13 – St. Louis, MO – The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy
    Dec. 14 – Lexington, KY – Cosmic Charlie’s
    Dec. 15 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
    Dec. 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Rex Theater
    Dec. 29 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium *
    Dec. 31 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
    Jan. 17 – 22 – Miami, FL – Jam Cruise

    * w/ Umphrey’s McGee

  • Breaking: Dead & Co. Scraps Tonight’s New Orleans Show; Mayer Hospitalized

    Dead & Company’s scheduled show tonight at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans has been postponed due to John Mayer being hospitalized.

    Mayer Hospitalized

    Mayer was hospitalized early Tuesday for an emergency appendectomy. No make up date was given for the show but tickets for tonight’s show will be honored at the rescheduled date. Refunds will be offered at point of purchase.

    Dead & Company are in the tail end of their fall tour with stops in Orlando and Sunrise, FL scheduled later this week. Those shows are still on schedule as of press time.

  • Hard Soul returns with new EP featuring new Single “See Me”

    It’s been almost three years since Troy’s emotive rockers Hard Soul have performed in the Capital District, but the wait is over. The group has announced the release of their new EP This Will Hurt, due out on Friday, December 8. The band has released an official video of the audio for “See Me,” the first single of the EP on Youtube and the track on Bandcamp.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNSggmmIyWo

    Lead singer Johnny Salka shared his thoughts on the new EP and return. “Hard Soul has always been about creating simple, singable songs that can connect with listeners of all musical backgrounds. The new EP is a renewed approach to that songwriting ethos which represents the last three years and next step in the musical evolution of Hard Soul. We’re absolutely stoked to share the new songs with our fans and the rest of the world.”

    The EP features five tracks, including three brand-new songs and two new arrangements of previously-released acoustic tracks “Fairer ShorTes” and “Have To Be A Miracle,” which originally appeared on the band’s 2015 EP Fairer Shores.

    Salka’s hometown of Troy gets some love in the new single. “The main riff of ‘See Me’ is forever linked to South Troy, a proud neighborhood in my home city where I wrote the song, with the chords and melody materializing early one morning. There was an immediate acknowledgement that there was something special about it. The song slowly evolved into a powerful display of riffs and vibrant vocal harmonies; however, the simple arrangement retains the song’s energy even while being performed on a simple acoustic guitar.”

    The group partnered with longtime collaborator & producer Steven “SolidGold” Goldman on their latest musical effort. Returning for the new EP is Nick Kossor (guitar), Steve Thompson (guitar, backing vocals), Mark Podbielski (drums), along with new addition Sean Murphy (bass guitar). The record also features Mike Perri (The Racer) who performed “I Am The Hurricane” and “This Will Hurt,” delivering a thundering performance on drums.