NYS Music 20​17

Category: News

  • moe.’s Rob Derhak Cancer Free

    Rob Derhak, bassist and vocalist from moe., announced on Facebook through both his personal page and the band’s page that he is officially cancer free. He was originally diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer in July.

    It has been about two weeks since moe. announced their return with two shows at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre on Feb. 2 and 3. On Wednesday, Derhak announced that, following a visit with his doctor, he was given a clean bill of health and declared cancer free. The cancer diagnosis in July had the band on an indefinite hiatus that began back in August.

    Derhak’s statement:

    Hi Friends,
    I have some good news to post today. After being scanned, poked, and prodded my Dr.’s have given me a green light. Did I kick cancers ass? No, it beat me up pretty good. But I just didn’t have the sense to go down, and eventually the cancer grew tired and hit the mat. So essentially, I rope-a-doped the dam thing. Although I’ll need to continue the Dr.’s visits for the next 5 years, they’ve given me a clean bill of health and declared me cancer free, with only a minimal chance that it will return. So thank you to everyone that was pulling for me, the support I received was instrumental in helping me get through this. I am truly looking forward to seeing everyone when I hit the stage again this February, with moe.
    Thanks from Your Pal,
    Rob

    In addition to the shows at the Capitol Theatre, moe. will return to host their Summer Camp Music Festival along with Umphrey’s McGee over Memorial Day weekend and they will be playing a show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on July 12.

  • Online Voting Helps Create Most Diverse List of Nominees in GRAMMY’s History

    The Recording Academy has released its list of nominees for the 2018 GRAMMY Awards, taking place in Madison Square Garden in New York on Jan. 28. This year’s list of nominees will be the most diverse in the history of the Recording Academy. The academy has, for the first time, allowed online GRAMMY nominations from its 1,300 members which has helped increase participation in the voting process.

    Album of the Year nods went to Awaken, My Love! by Childish Gambino, 4:44 by Jay-Z,
    DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar, Melodrama by Lorde and 24K Magic by Bruno Mars. This marks the most minority nominees in the Album of the Year category since 2005. Jay-Z is nominated for a total of eight Grammys. Lamar is next with seven, followed by Mars with six Grammy nods.

    A noticeable snub in the album category this year is perennial nominee, Ed Sheeran. Sheeran was nominated in the categories of Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance.

    Nominees in other categories include Gregg Allman’s posthumous release, Southern Blood, for Best Americana Album. Allman’s album is nominated alongside Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit’s The Nashville Sound, Iron & Wine’s Beast Epic, the Mavericks’ Brand New Day and Brent Cobb’s Shine on Rainy Day.

    The Infamous Stringdusters received their second ever Grammy nomination, this time in the Best Bluegrass Album category for Laws of Gravity. Other nominees in that category are Noam Pikelny, Michael Cleveland, Bobby Osborne and Rhonda Vincent and the Rage.

    The Best Contemporary Blues Category nominees include Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm, Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Tedeschi Trucks Band, Robert Randolph & the Family Band and Sonny Landreth.

    Leonard Cohen, who died late last year, is nominated in two categories. Cohen’s nods include one for Best American Roots Performance and, curiously, for Best Rock Performance. Bob Dylan also garnered a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his album Triplicate, his third consecutive album to mine the Great American Songbook. The Rolling Stones tribute to the blues, Blue and Lonesome is nominated in the Best Traditional Blues Album category.

    The 60th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by James Corden, will be broadcast on CBS Jan. 28. For the complete list of nominees, visit the Grammy Awards website here.

  • Brian Johnson Says Goodbye to Friend, Bandmate, Malcolm Young

    As our favorite legendary artists grow older, its only inevitable, that one day we will hear the sad news that one has passed away. Sadly, AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young will join several other legendary artists at the “Music Festival in Heaven.”

    Longtime bandmate, friend, and AC/DC frontman, Brian Johnson, posted a statement on his website about the passing of Young titled, “For 32 years, we stood side by side on stage.” His letter stated:

    I am saddened by the passing of my friend Malcolm Young, I can’t believe he’s gone.
    We had such great times on the road.
    I was always aware that he was a genius on guitar, his riffs have become legend, as has he.
    I send out my love and sympathy to his wife Linda, his children Cara and Ross,
    and Angus, who will all be devastated…. as we all are.
    He has left a legacy that I don’t think many can match.
    He never liked the celebrity side of fame, he was too humble for that.
    He was the man who created AC/DC because he said “there was no Rock,n,Roll” out there.
    I am proud to have known him and call him a friend, and I’m going to miss him so much.
    I salute you, Malcolm Young.
    – Brain Johnson, November 2017

    Malcolm Young passed away on Nov. 18 at the age of 64, after suffering from dementia for the past few years. He formed AC/DC with his brother Angus in 1973. Besides playing guitar, Malcolm was a producer and songwriter, who help create some of the biggest rock and roll anthems in history, such as “Hells Bells,” “Back In Black,” “Highway To Hell,” and “You Shook Me All Night Long,” to name a few. He retired from the band in Sept. 2014, after being diagnosed with dementia in April 2014. Young and his AC/DC bandmates have sold over 110 million albums, are were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

    Rolling Stone posted several comments from various artist, once the news of Malcolm’s death started to circulate throughout the music industry including Eddie Van Halen, Nancy Wilson and Slash. You can read those comments below:

    Steven Van Zandt (E Street Band): “Malcolm was the essential rhythm guitarist of the world’s greatest working class hard rock band. An irreplaceable loss.”

    Slash (Guns N’ Roses): “Malcolm Young was one of the best ever rhythm guitarists in rock and roll. He was a fantastic songwriter and he had a great work ethic too. I toured with AC/DC on their ‘Stiff Upper Lip’ tour. I found Malcolm to be a really cool, down to earth fellow. The entire rock and roll community is heartbroken by his passing.”

    Nancy Wilson (Heart) “Malcom Young was the embodiment of rock itself. His rhythm guitar style needed no embellishment. He laid down the simple solid guitar truth that taught us all about the ‘less is more ethic.’ The wild power of simplicity and the head banging hair flipping joys of turning it up really loud and dancing with the vibrations. Thank you, Malcom for being the real deal. We are all going to miss that shredding music that only you and your brother could make together.”

    Eddie Van Halen: “It is a sad day in rock and roll. Malcolm Young was my friend and the heart and soul of AC/DC. I had some of the best times of my life with him on our 1984 European tour. He will be missed and my deepest condolences to his family, bandmates and friends.”

    Dave Mustaine: “I have to go…I am losing it that Malcolm is gone. I hate this…” Kiss’ Paul Stanley added, “The driving engine of AC/DC has died. A tragic end for a sometimes unsung icon. One of the true greats. RIP.” Tom Morello praised Young as “#1 greatest rhythm guitarist in the entire history of rock n roll.”

    https://youtu.be/evqsl8smnYE

  • Special Message From Rob Derhak Regarding Summer Camp 2018

    Hot on the heels of moe.’s recently announced, and now sold out, shows at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester Feb. 2 and 3, moe. bassist/vocalist Rob Derhak and his son put together a video to announce the 2018 Summer Camp in Chillicothe, IL.

    Summer Camp, now in it’s 18th year, will be held Memorial Day weekend (May 25-27) at Three Sisters Park with its traditional hosts, moe. and Umphrey’s McGee, co-headlining the event. Additional acts are yet to be announced. The 2017 edition of Summer Camp featured Primus, the Trey Anastasio Band, Gov’t Mule, Run the Jewels and the Disco Biscuits.

    Three-day general admission and Thursday pre-party tickets go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 12:00 p.m. Central Time (1:00 p.m. in the east). Also available will be specially discounted Loyal Summer Camper passes. Details are available at the Summer Camp website.

    The announcement alleviated concerns that the festival may be in jeopardy due to Derhak’s cancer diagnosis in July of this year. Speaking to that, Derhak took to social media Thursday to discuss his progress. He expressed appreciation for the support given him and his family since his diagnosis of oropharyngeal cancer and throughout his subsequent treatments that put moe. on indefinite hiatus. He particularly addressed the comments from fans and well-wishers claiming he had beaten cancer or is now cancer free. In his statement, Derhak said, “I’m still in recovery, and I’m doing well, but I’m also waiting to hear from my doctors on the state of my diagnosis. I’m cleared to play our upcoming shows, and my doctors feel confident, but I️ still do not know if my cancer has been fully cured.” Read the full statement below:

    https://www.facebook.com/rderhak/posts/10156071568422216

  • Vans Warped Tour Coming to an End

    They say all good things, come to an end, and with the recent post on the Vans Warped Tour social media pages, it looks like the multi-genre tour will end and make its final cross-country run in 2018 after 23 years of touring the festival.

    The final nail in the coffin will take place in 2019, where organizers of the tour stated that the 2019, 25th Anniversary edition, will  be the end, and will be a special showcase to celebrate the tour’s storied history, not a tour.

    A picture posted on the tour’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages with a quote from Warped Tour creator Kevin Lyman stated, “Today, with many mixed feelings, I am here to announce that next year, will be the final, full cross-country run of the Vans Warped Tour.” Once the news posted, fans began commenting on the news with memories, speculation, wise remarks and anger, which prompted Vans to respond.

    Some fans who commented on the news, received a reply from Warped Tour. In response to one fan who said the tour will run a couple more years with limited dates, Warped Tour stated:

    The 25th anniversary small celebration in 2019 will 100% be the end – but we are working to make this year’s full tour an awesome one!

    When another concerned fan asked if the tour would in fact still run with very limited dates, Warped Tour responded:

    2018 will be the FINAL tour we are working to make sure this 2018 cross-country tour is one to remember. The 25th anniversary celebration in 2019 will NOT be a tour, but a special showcase to celebrate the tour’s storied history.

    In response to a concert-goer who said the tour ending was sad, asked why it was ending. Warped Tour replied:

    Right now, we are working to make sure this 2018 cross-country tour is one to remember. The 25th anniversary will not be a full cross-country tour, but it will be a special showcase to celebrate the tour’s storied history. We simply don’t know more details on the 25th anniversary celebration yet – our team is working hard on the 2018 tour first

    It will be sad to see this tour go because the Vans Warped tour is a special kind of tour that gives several upcoming artists a platform to get their feet wet playing live shows and touring across the country. Many of those artists have made a name for themselves in the music industry since their first appearance on the tour, with many returning to headline one of the various stages the tour offered. Some of those artists include Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria, Beartooth, Motionless in White and many more.

    Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman, posted an extensive response on the situation through Warped Tour’s website. He stated:

    I have been a very lucky person to have traveled across the country and sometimes around the world as one of the founders and producers of the Vans Warped Tour. Today, with many mixed feelings, I am here to announce that next year will be the final, full cross-country run of the Vans Warped Tour. I sit here reflecting on the tour’s incredible history, what the final run means for our community, and look forward to what’s to come as we commemorate the tour’s historic 25th anniversary in 2019.

    In 1995, I had already worked many years in the music business, including spending four summers on the Lollapalooza tour, and I thought, ‘for one summer I would like go out and put on my own show’ mixing music and action sports. With the support of so many people, I have now spent the last 23 summers bringing that show to a city near you. We have brought that show to over 11 million people around the world and watched that same world change while doing so.

    I have been proud to work with so many artists who have grown to be some of the largest stars in the world. Countless bands have played in hot parking lots and through summer storms for you at some point.

    Bands like Quicksand, Sublime, L7, No Use for A Name and No Doubt jumped on in the very first year.

    Touring many summers with my friends and peers like – Pennywise, Social Distortion, NOFX, Bad Religion, The Descendents, Less Than Jake, Dropkick Murphys, The Bouncing Souls, Rancid, Flogging Molly, Anti-Flag and The Offspring are just some of my fondest memories. More include, having Blink-182 travel on my bus in 1997 when the world opened up to them and made them the superstars they are today.

    The Vans Warped Tour was the platform to witness the rise of pop punk with Sum 41, Simple Plan, MXPX, New Found Glory and Good Charlotte.

    The birth of Emo – with bands like Thrice, Thursday, The Used, Taking Back Sunday, The Starting Line, Motion City Soundtrack and Jimmy Eat World.

    Fast-forward to the summer in 2005 when TRL and Warped Tour helped launch the careers of Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and Avenged Sevenfold.

    I witnessed Warped alumni like The Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, No Doubt and even Kid Rock play the Super Bowl. I’ve even had the pleasure of seeing Green Day play the Rose Bowl.

    More recently, I’ve watched bands start out on a small stage and work their way up to the main stages by meeting as many fans as possible and continuing to hone their craft while on the tour. Bands like Paramore, A Day To Remember, Sleeping With Sirens, Pierce The Veil, Echosmith, Motionless in White, Black Veil Brides, Every Time I Die, Neck Deep, Beartooth and so many more.

    What has always made me proud was when I read that Warped was the most diverse show of the summer where you could find Eminem and Ice-T on the same stages as Sevendust, Pennywise, and 7 Seconds.

    I am so grateful to have worked with more than 1,700 bands over the last 23 summers. I wish I could thank every band that has played the tour.

    The Vans Warped Tour has become the community I had always hoped for. We have worked with over 90 non-profits each summer shining a light on new and growing groups giving our community the resources they need to connect with people who can help them, but also encourages our community to help each other. To Write Love on Her Arms, Music Saves Lives, Feed The Children Now, Keep a Breast, Hope For The Day, Canvas Foundation, Living The Dream and A Voice for the Innocent have built their organizations from the Warped Tour parking lots across the country. This even inspired me to start my own foundation Unite the United.

    The work we do each summer on “give back days” has become part of our DNA. My brain is etched with the image of the church ladies after Katrina serving beans and rice to The Casualties with their upright mohawks, finding a common ground where no one was judging anyone. Then finding out the only working business in the county seemed to be the moonshine still and the locals showing up with a crate to share with the crew later that evening.

    The long hot days that ended around a BBQ with food, drink and more music are some of the best times. Enjoying the days off, taking people jet boating, house boating, river rafting and sometimes even skydiving. I witnessed lifelong friendships being made, sparks of romance that led to ‘Warped weddings,’ and unfortunately now, more notices of passings where a proper good bye was not able to be said.

    I want to thank my supportive family who has been through the highs and lows, Darryl Eaton at CAA, Steve Van Doren and Vans, Kate, Julie, Allison and Steph. My hard ass working crew who puts that show up and down each day, the sponsors which without them this tour would not happen, the bands and their crews, the promoters who took a risk on us at the beginning and continue to be supportive.

    It will be bittersweet each morning when I see the sun rise and then watch it set knowing that this will be the last time I get to witness it from that exact spot.

    Though the tour and the world have changed since ’95, the same feeling of having the ‘best summer ever’ will live on through the bands, the production teams, and the fans that come through at every stop.

    The enduring spirit of the Vans Warped Tour remains as bright as ever, continuing to inspire creativity and ambition in new and exciting ways as we prepare for a 25th anniversary celebration in 2019.

    I truly look forward to seeing as many of you as possible during this final cross country run, and getting to thank you for your support on this wild adventure. Until then, take care and be safe.   – Kevin Lyman (Founder of the Vans Warped Tour)

    Warped will hit the road for the last time on June 21 in Pomona, CA, and end on Aug. 5 in West Palm Beach, FL. New York will see two stops on the final run.  Darien Lake will host the festival on July 25 and Wantagh’s Jones Beach Amphitheater on July 28.  Artists are still to be determined and will be announced in early 2018.

  • moe. Announces Return

    moe. went on indefinite hiatus in July of this year following bassist Rob Derhak’s cancer diagnosis. Derhak underwent treatments for nasopharyngeal cancer throughout the summer and is now fit to take the stage again. moe announced Tuesday that it will return to perform two dates at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre Feb. 2 and 3.

    moe. was forced to cancel the remainder of their scheduled dates following Derhak’s diagnosis. His most recent performance with the band was at the Huckleberry Jam in Idaho on July 28. They will perform two sets each of the two nights at the Capitol. For the Feb. 2 show, they will be joined by Kung Fu. Feb. 3 will be “An Evening With moe.”

    A limited amount of pre-sale tickets will be available through Ticketfly beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15.  General on-sale begins Friday, Nov. 17 at 10:00 a.m., again through Ticketfly.

    No other dates were announced by the band. Derhak issued a statement with the announcement:

    It’s been a tough few months, and I couldn’t have done it without the overwhelming support of my family, and my famoe.ly.  And although it’s still not clear what the future brings, the positivity and love that I’m feeling for moe.’s and my next chapter is beyond exciting.  I feel like a kid counting down the days until Christmas, and our energy as a band, is like nothing I’ve experienced before.  Thank you all for the well wishes, prayers, and healing vibes.

  • Jess Novak Band to Celebrate New Release at Turning Stone Friday

    Syracuse’s Jess Novak Band will release its new album, Fireworks & Fairytales, Friday November 10 and to celebrate, the band is throwing a CD release party at Turning Stone Casino Resort’s Turquoise Tiger Lounge in Verona Friday beginning at 9:30 p.m.

    jess novak turning stoneThe free show will feature the four-piece Jess Novak Band that includes Novak (violin, vocals, guitar, percussion), Mark Nanni (keyboards, accordion, vocals), Anthony Saturno (guitar) and William Harrison (drums, bass). The band will be joined by the horn section that contributed to the new CD – Melissa Gardiner on trombone and Nick Fields on trumpet. Several special guests who contributed to the making of the album may also appear alongside the band.

    JNB blends pop, soul, blues and rock, leading the audience on a voyage through the Stax vaults and down through the juke joints of the south. Terry Roland of No Depression magazine said of the band:

    There are those rare moments in music when the dynamics of sight and sound converge into a near-perfect storm. Then it rains down talent and a connection of musical and personal chemistry create something that is irresistible….Their music is a blissful shot of Americana blues-based soul music.

    The album is the Jess Novak Band’s third and the sixth overall for Novak. The first video from the album, “Do to You,” was released Nov. 5 and has received an Akademia Music Award for Best Pop/Rock. You can see the video below.

    The band plans to begin a cross-country tour in early 2018 in support of the new album. In the meantime, you can catch them gigging throughout Central New York. In addition to being available at JNB shows, Fireworks & Fairytales will be available for streaming and download through iTunes, Spotify and Amazon.

  • Phil Lesh Given Key to the Village of Port Chester

    The meaning behind being given the key to a city has changed time and time again since it’s origins in medieval times. Back then, it granted peasants a freedom from serfdom; now it’s a symbol of thanks to any person, native or alien, who has had an positive impact on a community. Looking back on what Mr. Lesh has done for Port Chester, it’s a mystery why he wasn’t given this earlier.

    He has made over 70 appearances at the Capitol Theatre alone and was widely recognized for his streak of 17 shows within 11 months between 1970-71. One of the Grateful Dead’s most highly praised live albums was recorded during this time at The Cap in February of 1970. Three From the Vault is considered to be one of the most desirable and included the first live performances of the songs “Bird Song” and “Deal.”

    Lesh also is a strong advocate organ donation awareness, another reason why he was given this prestigious honor. He had a close call with Hepatitis C and was fortune enough to be given a liver by a random donor he only knew by the name of Cody. Due to this traumatic experience, Lesh, is always saying to his fans, “Save the life of someone you’ll never meet.” Lesh is a truly selfless person and is undoubtedly deserving of the key to the “Village of Port Chester.”

  • Great Blue Releases New Album, to Play the Java Barn in Canton Thursday

    Connecticut rock power trio, Great Blue have hit the road for the first leg of their tour in support of the band’s new self titled album, Great Blue. The first portion of the tour will see the band travel for two months throughout the eastern U.S., hitting 20 different cities. Great Blue is planning a second leg of the tour and currently working out the details for that run.

    The tour kicked off on Oct. 27 at the Centre Street Pub in Schenectady and will conclude at home, on Nov. 25, at the Arch Street Tavern in Hartford, CT. New Yorkers can catch Great Blue play one more show on the first leg in N.Y. state at the Java Barn in Canton.

    Rocking together for 10 years, Great Blue is made up of Peter Anspach (guitar/bass), Nick Hanna (drums), and Ethan Michael (guitar/bass). The band’s new self titled album was mastered by 13-time Emmy winner, Andy Gundell. The band has recently released the music video for their new song “Seeker.” Great Blue’s style of music has the melodies, grooves, and riffs to keep the energy electrifying and crowds moving.

    Remaining Great Blue Tour Dates:

    Oct. 31 – Zenbarn – Waterbury, VT
    Nov. 2 – The Java Barn – Canton, NY
    Nov. 4 – The Pompei Lounge – Staunton, VA
    Nov. 7 – The Local – Boone, NC
    Nov. 8 – The Nick – Birmingham, AL
    Nov. 9 – Green Bar – Tuscaloosa, AL
    Nov. 10 – Congress Street Social –
    Nov. 11 – Palmetto Brewing Co. – Charleston, SC
    Nov. 13 – Preservation Pub – Knoxville, TN
    Nov. 14 – Nowhere Bar – Athens, GA
    Nov. 16 – Isis Music Hall Lounge – Asheville, NC
    Nov. 17 – The Whiskey – Wilmington, NC
    Nov. 18 – Surf Bar – Folly Beach, SC
    Nov. 19 – Tiki Hut – Hilton Head Island, GA
    Nov. 20 – Cary St. Café – Richmond, VA
    Nov. 24 – La Boca – Middletown, CT
    Nov. 25 – Arch Street Tavern – Hartford, CT

  • A Prohibition Era NYC Law Close to Repeal

    A Prohibition Era law designed to put the clamps on NYC nightlife has support for a repeal, according to Brooklyn councilman Rafael Espinal. Espinal introduced a bill that will be taken under consideration Tuesday to repeal the near century-old Cabaret Law that makes it illegal to host “musical entertainment, singing, dancing or other form of amusement” without a proper cabaret license.

    The law kept such music luminaries as Billie Holiday and Ray Charles from performing in the “City That Never Sleeps” for decades before being amended to lessen restrictions on performers. The dancing provision of the law, however, has remained in tact, resorting to clubs using speakeasy tactics to warn of crackdowns. The selective enforcement by the Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots, otherwise known as MARCH, has led to many establishments being shut down and underground dance clubs taking their place.

    The New York Times reports that Mayor Bill de Blasio supports a repeal, provided the security camera and certified security guard requirements added to the law during the Rudy Guiliani administration, remain in place.

    When the Cabaret Law was enacted in 1926, the expense and restrictions placed on establishments wishing to provide nightlife entertainment made acquiring a license difficult. Many of the night spots that were targeted early on included the jazz clubs of Harlem. During the 1990s, Mayor Guiliani ramped up enforcement of the law as the EDM movement began to take hold. The current administration has issued few citations and with possible repeal on tap for Tuesday, New York will once again be free to dance.