NYS Music 20​17

Category: Beyond NYS

  • Hearing Aide: Benn Rymon ‘A Long Time’

    A Pennsylvanian both by nature and at heart, rapper Benn Rymon and his beats are now based out of Plattsburgh, where he continues to record and perform just as he’s been doing since the 90s. This time, his ideas were carefully crafted into his solo debut album, A Long Time.

    Normally, he’d be found lending an instrumental helping hand to an array of friends and artists to help complete their passion projects. Never releasing one of his own, A Long Time,  dropped on July 7 as his very first release. It chronicles a lifetime of friendships found and foraged through the gift of music, which led to Rymon joining forces with fellow rappers in the Plattsburgh community, eventually becoming the founding member of the Plattsburgh Home Team. Each song tells its own story, whether that includes hard-knock times, unexpected adventures and at times, dangerous happenings. Prominently using an “in-your-face” style of rap, paired with his blunt character and unwavering confidence on stage, Rymon brings an eclectic gathering of genres, featured artists and a branded style of hip-hop all his own.

    The odyssey of an album explores Rymon’s long-time background in the scene, how he’s been brought up by others and how he’s in turn, doing the same and inspiring those to find their own musical passage. Making a musical cocktail combining obvious elements of rap and hip hop with some dance tunes stirred in, Rymon introduces a number of artists and their respective flavors.

    Unraveling the story, Rymon kicks things off on “Out of Control” with Ms Adventure before jumping into the fun, high tempo track “Sensational,” making a number of references to dancer/actor/singer Gregory Hines.  Word play follows with “Pass or Pull,” and “Hot Box Gondola” featuring Phen Yaqeen, which takes on a more rap-centered approach with traded verses and a simple beat layered behind it. “On the One” stands out as the hardest hitting rap track on the release with a spooky, perfectly fitting tune paralleling its equally eerie lyrics. “Town Center” shines with its tropical touch making it perfect for a summertime drive.

    The second half of the album introduces record scratching on “W.I.S.” and sees help from a number of collaborators like Epick, Craig Holmes, Lucid Lowell, Trixx, Phonix Dark and Symfonyi. A Long Time gets put to bed with the hypnotizing “Sleepers” before closing out with “Dedications,” with blaring horns and appropriate fade out lyrics “thats all, people.”

    A Long Time was produced, recorded, arranged, & mixed by Benn Rymon and Mastered by Adrian Carr for AC Mastering. Order the album here.

    Key Tracks: Sensational, Town Center

    https://soundcloud.com/antwonlevee/sets/benn-rymon-a-long-time/s-2nQx2

  • Jeezum Crow Festival Returns to Jay Peak for its Fourth Year

    Jay Peak Ski Resort welcomes locals and travelers alike to the fourth annual Jeezum Crow festival.

    Nestled in the mountains of the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont, Jeezum Crow has been a staple of the summer music scene in the NEK. Jeezum is a family-friendly event that not only allows concert-goers to enjoy a varied slew of live music, but also allows them to sample many of the area’s great eateries and experience the rich culture of northeast Vermont. A variety of vendors arrive each year to showcase and sell a myriad of products, creating a veritable shakedown street right next to the beautiful slopes of Jay Peak.

    In previous years, Dark Star Orchestra has headlined the 3000-person festival, and bands such as The Werks, Aqueous, Percy Hill, Blind Owl Band, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, and Lucid have graced the two stages in the past, with some acts performing in a large amphitheater facing the slopes, and smaller acts performing at the Bullwheel Bar, for many a rowdy, late-night dance party.

    This year welcomes for the first time, 90’s rockers Big Head Todd and the Monsters, as headliners. Also for the first time, premier bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters will be taking the main stage at the Stateside Amphitheater. Crowd favorites, Rick Redington and the Luv return to Jeezum. This year welcomes eclectic cover-band, Pink Talking Fish, who will no doubt deliver their high-energy take on the music of Pink Floyd, the Talking Heads, and of course, the Phish from Vermont. The Mallett Brothers will also be returning to Jay Peak, however this marks their first time on the roster of the Jeezum Crow festival. Also featured on the lineup for the fourth annual Jeezum Crow festival are: local rocker Seth Yacavone, The Balkun Brothers, Barika, Eric Gales, and Soule Monde. This will be the first year that late-night performances will be held on both nights, rather than only on Saturday.

    With the addition of Big Head Todd, the Stringdusters, and Pink Talking Fish, Jay Peak is expecting quite the turnout, as Northeast Kingdom locals and music fanatics far and wide conjoin for two nights of great music and fun on the breathtaking slopes of historic Jay Peak. Come for the music, the food, and the party; stay for the otherworldly, gorgeous scenery. Get tickets here.

  • Mike Gordon Announces ‘OGOGO’ and Fall Tour with Stop in Syracuse

    Mike Gordon is putting the final touches on his newest studio album, OGOGO, set to be released in September. He will head out on a fall tour with the current lineup of his solo band. The 17 night tour kicks off on Sept. 22 in Athens, Georgia and includes a stop at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater.

    mike gordon ogogo tourPhish bassist, Mike Gordon, has been keeping busy with the new lineup of his solo band. His fifth studio album, OGOGO, will be released on Sept. 15. The first track, “Steps,” is available for streaming now and can be heard in the video below.

    Gordon will also take his current solo band out on a 17 night tour that kicks off on Friday, Sept. 22 at the Georgia Theatre in Athens, Georgia. The tour makes a stop on Friday, Sept. 29 at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse. The only other stop in the Northeast is at New Haven, Connecticut’s College Street Music Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The tour closes out with a two-night stand at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 13 and 14. Gordon’s band includes Scott Murawski on guitar, Robert Walter on keyboards, John Kimock on drums, and Craig Myers on percussion.

    Tickets for the tour are available now via a real-time pre-sale, which ends Thursday, July 13 at 5 p.m ET. The general on sale date for the tour is this Friday, July 14 at 10 a.m. ET.

    Mike Gordon Fall 2017 Tour Dates
    Sept. 22 – Georgia Theatre, Athens, GA
    Sept. 23 – Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, NC
    Sept. 24 – Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC
    Sept. 26 – The National, Richmond, VA
    Sept. 27 – College Street Music Hall, New Haven, CT
    Sept. 29 – The Westcott Theater, Syracuse, NY
    Sept. 30 – Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON
    Oct. 1 – St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI
    Oct. 3 – Bells Eccentric Cafe, Kalamazoo, MI
    Oct. 4 – 20th Century Theater, Cincinnati, OH
    Oct. 5 – The Vogue, Indianapolis, IN
    Oct. 6 – The Metro, Chicago, IL
    Oct. 8 – Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee, WI
    Oct. 10 – Slow Down, Omaha, NE
    Oct. 11 – Madrid Theatre, Kansas City, MO
    Oct. 13-14 – Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO

  • Camp Bisco XV Returns to Montage Mountain

    Welcome back campers! The Disco Biscuits are bringing Camp Bisco XV back to Montage Mountain again this year for the third time on July 13, 14 and 15. The line-up is shared by both jambands and EDM acts along with a few other genres thrown in.

    The headliners feature some usual suspects and past Camp Bisco alumni. The beats will be thumping to start things up on Thursday with Griz and Gramatik along with the Disco Biscuits playing a set to give everyone a taste of that thing they call Bisco.  On the more ethereal side, Emancipator and Nightmares on Wax are not to be missed.

    Things get a little more jammy on Saturday with two more sets of Biscuits, Lotus, Twiddle and Sphongle live. If you are at Camp to wait for the next drop, you can get your fill at Bassnectar. For more sexy beats, make sure to check out Classixx. The Disco Biscuits end things off on Saturday with 3 sets, the last of which will almost certainly feature a Basis. Pretty Lights live band and Action Bronson round out the headliners for the final night. Want to party like you’re at Studio 54? Check out Escort! For that Union Station feel, check out Too Many Zoos.

    If you want to keep the party going into the night than the Renegade stage is for you. Located in the RV lot, this stage will start up after midnight, featuring a takeover by a different label each night. On Thursday will be Sermon, Friday Mr. Bugsly, and Saturday Good Looks.

    Then of course, there is the ultimate Camp event, Color War! Returning for year 12, Color War features friendly yet competitive team events (this year it’s Biscuits fans vs Bassnectar fans for the ultimate bragging rights) including Capture the Rage Stick, SpacebirdVolleyball, Disco Biscuits Trivia and so much more! Read our profile on Color War from last year’s Camp and sign up on Friday to join the teams for one of the best Camp traditions going 12 years strong!

    Tickets for Camp Bisco are on sale on here. There you can find 3 Day, Camping, Saturday, Box Seat and VIP passes. See you on the mountain!

  • Photo Recap: Summer Camp Music Festival 2017

    Summer Camp 2017 was another fantastic year in the Midwest festival’s history. Amid powerhouse sets from hosts Umphrey’s McGee and moe., and alongside memorable performances from Trey Anastasio Band, Pretty Lights Live, Gov’t Mule, Turkuaz, TAUK, The Disco Biscuits and dozens more artists from across the country.

    Tributes to Gregg Allman, who passed away on the third day of the festival, poured out almost immediately, with Eric Krasno Band, Flaccid and Gov’t Mule all covering “Whipping Post” within hours of his death. Trey Anastasio Band followed suit the next day by covering “Midnight Rider,” just a small sampling of the immense influence and praise Greg Allman earned from nearly 50 years of performing. Watch Gov’t Mule’s star-studded tribute:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVt8ni18N50

    Buffalo’s Aqueous played three sets over the weekend, each one drawing a larger crowd than the last as they finally moved from the Camping Stage to the Starshine Stage. The following Aqueous has developed over the past decade is a testament to the band’s work ethic and connection with fans as far back as performances at Nietzsche’s. They welcomed moe.’s Vinnie Amico and Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee to the stage for a cover of Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne,” putting an exclamation point on their breakout weekend.

    Lettuce alums Break Science and Eric Krasno Band stepped out on their own for well received performances, as did Brooklyn’s Turkuaz, who blew the crowd away at the Campfire Stage late Saturday night with a powerhouse set, putting them head and shoulders above others in the funk world. Wild Adriatic and Intrepid Travelers performed at the Camping Stage, a stepping stone for the many rising bands that Upstate New York produces. Both bands dropped spirited covers to the Camping audience, with Wild Adriatic covering Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and Intrepid Travelers paying homage to Prince with “Electric Avenue.”

    Of course moe. performed five sets throughout the weekend, with one set being rained out on Friday afternoon. Their late night performance in the Red Barn with Everyone Orchestra was full improv, and a treat for all ticket holders. moe. later brought up Turkuaz horns for “Ophelia” and “Happy Hour Hero” and bringing a jaw-dropping opener “Battle Without Honor Or Humanity” from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill and was part of moe.’s Halloween performance last year. Turkuaz later came out in full for “Life During Wartime” in a show that featured a giant “Meat” sandwich of the entire second set on Saturday. Sunday’s performance closed out with pure moe. start to finish, including a “Chromatic Nightmare” sandwich of the second set and “Opium” featuring Allie Kral of Yonder Mountain String Band on fiddle.

  • Blackberry Smoke Unite Eclectic Crowd at F.M. Kirby Center

     On Friday, June 23, 2017 the American chart topping Southern rock/Country rock group Blackberry Smoke rolled into Wilkes-Barre, PA to perform in front of a stoked up crowd at the F.M. Kirby Center in the heart of downtown Wilkes-Barre. Having toured extensively most of last summer on tour with Gov’t Mule, they released their fifth studio album Like an Arrow on October 14, 2016.

    With five studio albums under their belt, including Bad Luck Ain’t No Crime (2004), Little Piece of Dixie (2009), The Whippoorwill (2012), Holding All the Roses (2015) and most current Like an Arrow, Blackberry Smoke has an enormous catalog of songs to choose from. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, these Southern boys are no stranger to the road, touring and performing throughout the United States. Formed in 2001, Blackberry Smoke have headlined as well as opened for major artists such as Zac Brown Band, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Church and more. For the past sixteen years they continue to tear up the charts and road with mega hits and touring, playing on average, 250 shows a year. They have developed quite the eclectic fan base as well ranging from the classic Southern rock, country, rock and roll, grassroots and jam band fans. They have been know to frequently break into long jams, throwing covers into the mix of their music and play all night long.

    Guitarist and lead singer Charlie Starr shares, “There’s so many elements to what people call rock. There’s gospel and country and swing and blues. We’re just trying to write songs that include all those different types of elements. It keeps it interesting for musicians and songwriters.” And what great musicians and songwriters these guys are. If most of the sold out crowd at the Kirby Center didn’t appreciate the classic and vintage gear these guys used live which lended to their unmistakable sound, they certainly appreciated and knew the music as they sung along, clapped and foot stomped from the beginning to the end of their epic twenty-song set. Some songs on the set were definitely epic jams such as “Sleeping Dogs” which featured a very cool rendition of the Beatles “Come Together” tossed in the mix.

    You can view a clip from the show here:

    Blackberry Smoke’s original lineup of Charlie Starr (lead vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), and Brandon Still (keyboards) have been together since the beginning and are as tight knit and in the groove as any band could be. Yet they don’t stand still and settle in the pocket, musically that is. They always seem to be pushing the boundaries and digging into new territory with their music. Their diversity and growth can definitely be heard throughout their albums and setlist. Their set at the Kirby Center had a multitude and mix of great songs from their recordings.

    At 8 p.m. Brooklyn, NY based Indie/Alt-country blues band The National Reserve got things started with a forty-minute set that surely set the tone for the headliners. The National Reserve were a fun, musically diverse quintet. A fun and talented bunch of guys who could be your friend, hanging out, drinking whiskey in any local pub or starting up an impromptu jam in your mom’s living room. A great group of talented musicians led by guitarist/frontman Sean Walsh.

    Blackberry Smoke hit the stage at 9:15 pm and played a twenty-song set which lasted til after 11 p.m. The crowd was on their feet for the entire two hours, some even waiting for the after show VIP meet and greet. Blackberry Smoke started off the set with “Let Me Help You (Find The Door)” from 2015 Holding All the Roses, followed by “Testify” from their 2003 album Bad Luck Ain’t No Crime, and “Six Ways To Sunday” from the 2012 release The Whippoorwill. Blackberry Smoke continued throughout the night playing many hits, foot stomping tunes, acoustic tunes, jam tunes, along with a few covers including “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do” by Led Zeppelin as their first of three encores. Blackberry Smoke hit Wilkes-Barre, PA like “a freight train runnin’” and had their fans captivated “starin’ at them like a deer in the headlights” like they didn’t see this one coming. They put on a hell of a show for their fans and I am certain they made many more fans that night as well that just went along for the ride and left amazed.

    Blackberry Smoke Setlist: Let Me Help You (Find The Door), Testify, Six Ways To Sunday, Good One Comin’ On, Wish In One Hand, Waiting For The Thunder, Rock And Roll Again, Let It Burn, Sleeping Dogs/Come Together, Shakin’ Hands With The, Holy Ghost, Whippoorwill, Up In Smoke, Lay It All On Me, Ain’t Got The Blues, Running Through Time, One Horse Town, Like An Arrow

    Encore: Hey, Hey, What Can I do, Who Invented The Wheel, Ain’t Much Left Of Me

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  • Hearing Aide: Powerflo ‘Powerflo’

    There seems to be a growing trend in metal music of rap-metal making a comeback since Prophets Of Rage emerged last year.  You could argue that bands like Body Count have been around for a long time, but now the genre seems to be in the spotlight again. And with any sub-genre of metal, you get the flash in the pan bands or the goofy sounding bands that don’t last, however, Powerflo has landed and makes a statement.

    Consisting of powerhouse members of Biohazard, Fear Factory, Downset, and fronted by Cypress Hill’s Sen Dog, their self titled debut album makes you stop and say, “Hey, we got something here.”  You always get a feeling with super groups that they could not work or blend well or just seem to be an odd fit.  This is not the case.  Powerflo is tight, has chemistry and contains killer hooks and a hard sound that grabs you by the collar and makes you listen.

    The opening track “My M.O.” opens with a crushing guitar riff and dope rhymes straight from Sen Dog with a fantastic rhythm and beat from bassist Christen Olde Wolbers and drummer Fernando Schaefer. Its perfect to get you hyped up or that necessary kick you need to listen to while you’re at the gym.  The next track “Resistance” is heavily vocal, driven with sick drums.  But the song that stands out most is “Less Than a Human” because of how motivating it is.  The track that highlights the band the best is the single “Victim of Circumstance.”  If you want to get someone hooked on this band, show them this track.  It’s a perfect sports anthem.  I would expect to hear this band at sporting and fight events.  Book it.

    Some of the Biohazard fans may be let down because they’re expecting to hear the kick ass break downs and guitar solos from a band that made them so iconic.  Poweflo isn’t driven by break downs and solos, it’s driven by catchy hooks.  The hooks punch HARD.  And Sen Dog really shines because he’s front and center.   This is a band with a bold move by guitarist Billy Graziadei, because everyone is used to him being front and center anchoring for Biohazard, but he has a different role in Powerflo. But it works.  This album is a must have for any hip hop, hardcore or metal fan.  Keep an eye out for Powerflo.  It’s easily the best debut metal album of this year.

    Key Tracks: “My M.O.”, “Less Than A Human”, “Victim Of Circumstance”

  • When Deep Banana Blackout and The Breakfast Converge: Deep Banana Breakfast

    After three decades Deep Banana Blackout still has their charm. On Friday, June 16, DBB  played alongside The Breakfast, who both now have another excellent performance to put under their belts. Their performance Deep Banana Breakfast, although typical, was well received by the wide demographic of people that attended. 

    Typically, the Fairfield Theater Company gains the attention of people who seemingly aren’t so interested in the band that’s playing, but are more attracted to the idea of seeing live music on Friday night. They come to almost every show the FTC has to offer but always seem so uninterested, sometimes leaving halfway through a show. But not this time. The men and women were flabbergasted by the momentum and energy that DBB brought. Their well-rounded and classic sound combined with a contemporary layout made for an absolutely epic night that was enjoyed by patrons of all ages. 

    The Breakfast played for an hour and fifteen minutes with their efforts not going unappreciated. The only gripe some people might have had with their performance was that they came out swinging hard – they peaked early and as the room filled out it was easy to see the crowd had lost interest come the end of their set. They consist of: Tim Palmieri on guitar and vocals, Adrian Tramontano of Kung Fu on drums and vocals, Chris DeAngelis on bass and vocals and Jordan Giangreco on keyboards  and vocals. They’re very technical and multi-directional with enough talent to last for years. Listeners can sense influences of rock, jam, funk and hints of jazz throughout their pieces. They too have been playing for almost three decades and still performed with unrelenting energy.

    DBB, who’s show wasn’t the most incredible one they’ve ever done by any means, was much appreciated for their consistency. There are some member changes compared to their performances 10 years ago, but the feel of their show is still alive and well and that is something to appreciate. There were a few teases and a wide variety of tastes and styles that fluctuated throughout the show. Their selections ranged from a crowd favorite, “Bump and Sway,” to Peter Gabriel’s, “Sledgehammer,” to a lively version of James Brown’s, “Turn Me Loose, I’m Dr. Feel Good.” They played about fifteen total songs before moving to the highlight of the night when The Breakfast combined with DBB to play The Allman Brothers ”Stand Back” and “Southbound” as tribute to the late Greg Allman. As stated before, the show didn’t blow people away – patrons were drinking and talking the majority of the time and kept the smoking section of the patio full the entire time. What was most astounding was the consistency of the group over all of these years. 

    It’s a shame to see these two groups don’t have plans to work together again anytime soon because they compliment each other beautifully and have a plethora of talent and experience under their belts. DBB’s next show is in Westport, CT at the Blues, Views and BBQ Fest @ Levitt Pavilion and The Breakfast has no plans at the moment. Hopefully this performance is well received enough to have them do a similar show like this one.

  • Pennsylvania Venue Releases Statement Following Reports of Mad Tea Party Jam Illnesses

    The Four Quarters Interfaith Sanctuary released a statement via e-mail after reports of illnesses at the venue caused concern to attendees of two festivals.  Over the course of two weekends, a multitude of symptoms were reported from patrons, staff, volunteers and musicians during the Mad Tea Party Jam and the WickerMan Burn.

    Anyone suffering symptoms associated with viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu) are encouraged to contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health.  The venue is working with local health officials to collect accurate data. Organizers of both events as well as the venue are hoping this data can help further explain what happened and why some some attendees became ill.

    To our Visitors and Friends

    Recently we have suffered at Four Quarters outbreaks of a very contagious Viral GI illness that is following the pattern of the 2008 season outbreaks. We have been in contact with our public health officials about Viral GI prior to the outbreak at The Mad Tea Party and have been in continuous contact since Sunday morning, June 18th. We have been forwarding contact information, hospital information, test reports and samples directly to the PA Epidemiological Dept, and will be meeting with them on site shortly.

    We have confirmed with some public health officials that this is a “hot” season for Viral GI with outbreaks emerging. It is our own opinion that we are experiencing a very contagious variant this season with one day incubation times, less than 24 hour mean duration and high transmissiblity through surfaces.

    We have confirmed ill parties arriving on site and passed this information forward, while protecting identities of individuals and venues involved. It is important to remember that the virus can travel through casual contact with surfaces and does not reflect on the personal habits of the persons afflicted; in fact, for the virus to survive every person casually infected must, on average, infect another person.

    In working with the PA Health Dept after our experience with Viral GI in 2008, we put into place policies and improvements under their recommendation. We believe these policies prevented a much wider outbreak at Mad Tea Party.
    * We quarantine campers and campsites that display symptoms of any kind of GI distress, until it is known they are not infectious, and we supply these camps with chlorine wash-down supplies. We track arrival times, travel histories and first symptoms of cases reported to us.
    * We educate through signage and publications about the nature of Viral GI. Much of our staff has passed Safe-Serve educational certification.
    * During high risk events we continuously clean and chlorine wash-down all potties, water spigots, hand-wash stations and smooth public surfaces many times during the day.
    * Our water supply is tested and licensed with daily chlorine readings and monthly sampling. We volunteered for this highest level of testing.
    * Food vendors are safe-serve certified and are Health Dept. inspected prior to events. Our own kitchen is licensed to the commercial level with safe-serve certified staff.

    This announcement is intended to answer in small part some of your concerns. Please understand that science takes time and we are currently focused on supplying the raw data that will allow the experts to identify and understand what may be an especially contagious variant. If you have information to share do call PA HEALTH at 717-787-3350. As you travel and attend events, be very aware of the increased risk factors for Viral GI and practice good hygiene in it’s prevention, with Wikipedia @ Norovirus a good reference. As we receive information back from the science community we will pass it on to you.

    In closing we wish to express our sympathy and concern to those people who have experienced this contagion, and our appreciation to those who have shared with us their medical histories. Our praise for the outstanding work of EMS and sanitation staff who went far beyond the call of 16 hour shifts to treat patients and keep the facilities clean. And our thanks to the very many people whose recent messages of support and appreciation for our work, has made that work worthwhile.

    Orren Whiddon
    Four Quarters InterFaith

    Anyone who attended Mad Tea Party Jam over the past two weekends are encouraged to disinfect supplies, wash clothing, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen.  According to the Center for Disease Control, the virus that causes Viral GI may be present in vomit and stools both before and after symptoms are present. Proper hand hygiene is the best way to prevent infecting others.

    NYS Music will continue to update this story as it develops.

  • Patrons, Musicians and Staff Fall Ill at Mad Tea Party Jam

    Patrons, staff, volunteers and artists at the Mad Tea Party jam have reported a multitude of illnesses over the weekend. Many attendees of the three day event reported sickness through social media that prevented performances and sent several people to the hospital. The festival was held at the Four Quarters Interfaith Sanctuary in Artemis, Pa.

    mad tea partyMad Tea Party released a statement via their Facebook Page on Sunday evening.

    Despite our best efforts to maintain the health safety of our patrons, people were falling ill. We ourselves are seeking any and all answers. The Pennsylvania Center of Epidemiology has been contacted by the venue in order to properly ascertain what has happened this past weekend. In order to better understand and identify the issue and better yet, how to fix this issue, we are openly asking people to report their own health issues to the Pennsylvania board of health. Please call this number in order to aid us. 1-877-PA HEALTH

    We will be posting more information as it is received.

    Headliner Papadosio was forced to cancel their third and final performance of the weekend which was scheduled for Saturday night. Three of the band’s five members were reportedly too ill to perform.

    Ona Hogarty of Bedford, PA was taken to the emergency room at War Memorial Hospital in Berkley Springs, PA.  She reported to NYS Music that doctors there gave her a dysentery diagnosis.   She said doctors noted that dysentery  is often given as a broad term diagnosis to stomach viruses accompanied by bloody stools.  Hogarty is awaiting test results to further explain her illness.

    Online accounts point to a potential Norovirus outbreak. Although the symptoms match reports from sick attendees, NYS Music has been unable to confirm the official cause of the weekend’s illnesses. Symptoms were reported as early as Friday morning. Norovirus is often the cause of mass outbreaks in nursing homes, cruise ships and daycare centers.

    A similar situation was reported at last weekend’s WickerMan Burn. A pinned post on the WickerMan Burn Facebook group early Sunday morning, dated June 16, read:

    The organization team and the 4QF board of directors are sympathetic and full of compassion for those who got sick after WickerMan. You have all already heard that we test the water and septic systems, that we bleached everything we could as often as we could, and that some number of people still got sick. We can’t go back into the event and change the fact that a highly contagious illness got passed around.

    However, by Sunday evening, the post was updated with the above text deleted. Only an explanation about norovirus and stomach bugs remained from the original post. Several post in the group were made, questioning the link between the illnesses over the two different weekends.

    Although the venue has signs posted about norovirus prevention at the showers, the venue offered no other warning about potential issues from the previous weekend.

    mad tea partyWhile the organizers of Mad Tea Party Jam have been open with its patrons, Four Quarter’s has been silent about the situation. Over the past two days, long-time attendees of the grounds are commenting on their positive experiences in vast numbers, which has some of the sick attendees crying fowl. Brooke Lown of Richmond, Va, who became ill early Saturday morning told NYS Music, “It’s really upsetting and makes me feel like we are going to have to try hard for this to be taken seriously and be addressed. They are all trying to play it off like we don’t have personal hygiene and are just some dirty hippies who are always bound to get this sick at fests.”

    This story is developing and NYS Music will bring you the latest developments. Request for comments from Mad Tea Party Jam and Four Quarters Interfaith Sanctuary are pending. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is working to provide accurate data on the total number of cases reported, both over the weekend and throughout the venue’s history.