NYS Music 20​17

Category: Manhattan

  • Whose Hat Is This? First Ever East Coast Tour

    Tedeschi Trucks Band side project Whose Hat Is This? is set to make its first tour down the east coast. The six night tour brings them from New York City down to the Atlanta metropolitan area.

    Whose Hat Is This? is made up of Tedeschi Trucks Band members Tim Lefebvre on bass, Kebbi Williams on saxophone and JJ Johnson and Tyler “Falcon” Greenwell on drums. Their shows combine elements of jazz, funk and electronica into completely improvised sets. Their self-titled debut album was released in April.

    The tour kicks off on Dec. 4 at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall and continues for six consecutive nights down the coast until they close it out on Dec. 9 at Gate City Brewery in Roswell, Georgia. This tour sees the band coming off two sold out shows at New York City’s 55 Bar in October. The only other Northeast show is Dec. 5 at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia.

    The tour was booked with assistance from Craft for Causes who partner the craft brewing community with live music ventures for charitable experiences.

    Whose Hat Is This? East Coast Tour Dates
    Dec. 4 – Rockwood Music Hall – New York, NY
    Dec. 5 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
    Dec. 6 – The 8×10 – Baltimore, MD
    Dec. 7 – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC
    Dec. 8 – The Pour House – Charleston, SC
    Dec. 9 – Gate City Brewery – Roswell, GA

  • Dead & Company Kick Off Their 2017 Fall Tour At Madison Square Garden

    Dead & Company kicked off their 2017 Fall Tour on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, NY. This was the first time back to the famous venue since their inaugural Fall tour in 2015. Dead & Company members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti took the stage shortly after 7 p.m.

    dead company Madison Square GardenWith the crowd excited to see what the band was going to open with, they started the night off with a unique “Shakedown Street.” Next, Dead & Company finally debuted “Greatest Story Ever Told.” The crowd erupted, making it one of the highlights of the night. This was followed by “Bertha,” giving John Mayer his first chance to sing. After a jam filled “Cassidy,” the band gave birth to the live debut of “Beat It On Down The Line” which was led by Bob Weir.

    Following the live debut was “They Love Each Other.” Towards the end of the the song, the band had a hiccup. It took them about a minute to figure out where to transition from the end of the song into “Cumberland Blues.” Once they were fully into the song, they shook off the cobwebs and went ahead leaving the awkward moment in the dust.

    Dead & Company started off the second set with the familiar combo of “China Cat Sunflower”>”I Know Your Rider” followed by “Ship of Fools.” Next was an electrifying “Terrapin Station,” leaving the Rhythm Devils to follow with their regulatory “Drums” > “Space.” The second set ended with “Casey Jones” giving the crowd another chance to sing along. With the crowd roaring for more, Dead & Company took the stage for a double encore featuring “Samson and Delilah” and “Werewolves of London” where Mayer and Weir traded verses.

    dead company Madison Square Garden

    Setlist:

    Set 1: Shakedown Street, Greatest Story Ever Told, Bertha, Cassidy, Beat It On Down The Line, They Love Each Other, Cumberland Blues

    Set 2: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Ship of Fools, Terrapin Station > Drums > Space > Standing on the Moon, The Other One, Casey Jones

    Encore: Samson and Delilah, Werewolves of London

    dead company Madison Square Garden

  • The Other Brothers CD Release Party Meets Sold-Out Crowd in NYC

    New Paltz’s The Other Brothers have been playing music for a few years now, but this fall have released their debut EP, Jones. With roots of rock and funk laced with a blend of soul, The Other Brothers rightfully claimed NYS Music’s readers’ pick as band on the rise last year. On Sept. 30, The Other Brothers celebrated the release of their debut studio album.

    American Beauty, a perfectly sized music club located just around the corner from Madison Square Garden, hosted the band’s first sold out show with an incredible amount of energy on stage and in the crowd. Opening the show was NYC/Brooklyn’s own Huck, who put on a solid show and a closing DJ set was provided by Michael Suarez.

    From the moment Chris Owen (vocals) and John Morrison (guitar) took the stage for an opening duet before the full band came on, American Beauty was lit up with plenty of loyal enthusiasm. One of the captivating elements of the show was their ability to create a variety of moods throughout their sets, and even within songs. Behind Morrison and Owen were Jordan Mendelson (bass), Brandon Bera (drums), Jared Nelson (percussion), and Gabriel Marquez (keys). The flow of their work on stage came through as seamless, a sign of professionalism in musicianship, which combined with their character on stage created a downright enjoyable listening experience to dance to.

    The Other Brothers show can most simply be summed up as the mark of a local Hudson Valley band who continues to be on the rise.

    Jones is available over at their Bandcamp page.While we wait for a music video shot at the end of their American Beauty show, you can check out a video released for “A2W” here.

  • Jimkata Says Farewell at American Beauty

    Ten Years, six albums, and hundreds of shows ago, three friends from Oneonta formed the electro-rock band Jimkata. After kicking off in Ithaca and accumulating a dedicated fan base across New York State and beyond over the past decade, Evan Friedell, Packy Lunn, Aaron Gorsch packed up the synths said farewell with a five show/eight night run across New York State. The tour came to an end on Saturday October 28 at American Beauty in Midtown Manhattan.

    Jimkata American Beauty

    The sold out room could barely contain the energy as Halloween costume adorned fans flooded the room. “I knew them back at Ithaca University…” One fan reminisced just before the start of the show. “…I would see them all the time, and when they announced their last show would be in the city I couldn’t miss it.” The conversation was abruptly interrupted when “Jurassic Park Theme” by composer John Williams was played as the band emerged from the green room and took the stage together. With no plans for a return, fans cheered and sang along for what could be the last time.

    Photo Gallery By Chris Capaci/Capacity Images

  • 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.

  • ‘Weird Al’ Tones It Down for 2018 Tour, Several NY Dates Included

    Everyone’s favorite parody musician will once again hit the road, as “Weird Al” Yankovic, has announced dates for an extensive tour of North America in 2018. Yankovic has recently wrapped up one of his biggest tours ever and will return in 2018 with his 70+ city “The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour.” Longtime friend and comedian Emo Phillips, will perform before “Weird Al” takes stage.

    Weird Al 2018Shows will take place in venues with a more intimate feel, and create a little different atmosphere than normal “Weird Al” shows. Yankovic has stated that he and his band will perform original material, rarities, and deep cuts. “Weird Al” will perform songs he and his band haven’t played in years, and songs they have never before played live. He also stated that he and his band have been rehearsing around 60 songs for the trek, and each show on the tour will have a different set list.  Unfortunately, there won’t be any costume changes or running and jumping around by “Weird Al,” as he and the band will sit on stools, and jam out songs for around 90 minutes.

    “Weird Al,” has released 14 studio albums. Four of those fourteen albums reached gold status, while six others reached platinum certifications, including 1984’s “Weird Al” Yankovic in 3-D. He has also won four Grammy awards in his career including Best Concept Music Video for the song “Fat,” in 1989. He has sold over 12 million albums, and has appeared in numerous television shows and on the big screen.

    The tour will kick off on Feb. 27, at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie. New York will see several other stops on the tour throughout the state, including March 1 at the Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown; March 13 at the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts in Buffalo; March 14 at the State Theatre in Ithaca; March 17 at The Paramount in Huntington; and March 23 at The Apollo Theater in New York.

    During a recent interview with Nerdist, “Weird Al” commented on the upcoming tour, his longevity, Emo Phillips and what he hopes fans take away from the tour. “Weird Al” was also asked about his stamina, he replied:

    I’ve definitely had time to relax, reconnect with my family, even take a shower! But yeah, when I’m on the road, it’s pretty exhausting–I get a real workout every night. This upcoming tour shouldn’t be too taxing though. We’re just going to walk out on stage, sit down on stools and play a bunch of songs. No running and jumping around, or changing into thirty different costumes. It’ll be a little rougher on my vocal cords, because I won’t have any video breaks during the show. But the whole vibe of this next tour is going to be pretty laid back. It’s the “Let’s Not Work Up Too Much of a Sweat” tour.

    What he’s looking forward to the most about the tour:

    The band and I are really just looking forward to a change of pace. I’ve been putting on fat suits and riding Segways around the stage, and I just wanted to do something totally different this time out. I don’t think I’ll be making a habit of this: this is quite possibly a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It’ll also be really fun for me to play some of the songs that I was always proud of, but somehow slipped through the cracks. There are only so many songs I can perform in my live show, and the parodies are the audience-pleasers, so we have to focus on those, and as a result, a lot of my original material never makes the cut. But this is not an audience-pleasing show. It’s probably going to be an audience-baffling show. As I’ve said before, there’s a subset of my fan base that’s going to go absolutely nuts for this tour, but it might not be for everybody.

    If he was nervous touring a different type of show for the first time around:

    Well, I wasn’t really nervous until you just brought it up! Yeah, I always get a little nervous right before a tour, and particularly when I’m doing something new. And this tour is extremely different from every other tour I’ve done. I guess I just have to go into it with a good attitude. I know it’s not going to be perfect… it’s not supposed to be perfect. All my other shows were rigidly planned down to the second, and on this tour, we’re literally doing a different set list every night. I’m going to talk a lot more on stage. See, this is really going against my nature and stepping out of my comfort zone. I’m the kind of guy that likes to have everything super-planned out and over-rehearsed and always know exactly what I’m going to do and say. On this tour, I’m just going to walk out on stage and see what happens. It could suck; it could be amazing. That’s a little terrifying to think about… so… I’m going to stop thinking about it.

    On what he hopes fans will bring home from seeing this show:

    Primarily, lots of MERCH. That would be good. Besides that… this tour is geared specifically for the long-time hardcore fans, so I just hope that some of them get their minds blown by hearing some obscure old favorite songs that they never dreamed they’d ever get a chance to hear live. And we’re really pulling out the deep cuts for this show. We’re rehearsing 50 or 60 songs, most of which we’ve either never played live before, or haven’t played in decades. It’s a lot of work. I’d also like to think that, since this show will be comprised almost entirely of my original songs, it might shine a light on the fact that I’ve done some decent non-parody material over the last three decades. But hey, I’m not kidding myself – I know that to 95% of the general population, I’ll always just be the “Eat It” guy.

    How it feels to tour with his longtime friend Emo Phillips:

    I’m really looking forward to that. Emo’s one of my oldest friends, and I think he’s seriously one of the funniest guys in the world. I’ve never traveled with a support act before. For a long time, promoters would hire local comedians to open the show. We never knew anything about them before we got there. Some were good, some were not so good, and some were totally inappropriate. And then, when our show length passed the two-hour mark, we decided to eschew the opening act entirely and make it an “Evening With Al.” But we’re going to try not to bust anybody’s bladder on this tour: Emo’s doing about 30 minutes, and I’m doing about 90. It’ll be really fun; I always have a good time with him, and it’ll be a blast riding a bus with him for 15 weeks. I just hope he doesn’t snore, or perform daily ritual sacrifices or anything. Eh, whatever, I’m sure I’d get used to it.

    The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour Dates:

    Feb. 27 – Bardavon 1869 Opera House – Poughkeepsie, NY
    March 1 – Tarrytown Music Hall – Tarrytown, NY
    March 2 – Foxwoods Resort Casino – Ledyard, CT
    March 3 – The Music Hall – Portsmouth, NH
    March 4 – Wilbur Theatre – Boston, MA
    March 7 – Place Des Arts – Montreal, QC
    March 9 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON
    March 10 – 20 Monroe Live – Grand Rapids, MI
    March 11 – Michigan Theater – Ann Arbor, MI
    March 13 – University At Buffalo Center for the Arts – Buffalo, NY
    March 14 – State Theatre – Ithaca, NY
    March 16 – Caesars Atlantic City – Circus Maximus – Atlantic City, NJ
    March 17 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY
    March 18 – American Music Theatre – Lancaster, PA
    March 20 – Music Center at Strathmore – Bethesda, MD
    March 23 – Apollo Theater – New York, NY
    March 24 – Palace Theatre – Greensburg, PA
    March 25 – Playhouse Square – Ohio Theatre – Cleveland OH
    March 26 – Lexington Opera House – Lexington, KY
    March 28 – Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts – Louisville, KY
    March 30 – Virginia Theatre – Champaign, IL
    March 31 – Hoyt Sherman Place – Des Moines, IA
    April 2 – Mayo Civic Center Presentation Hall – Rochester – MN
    April 3 – Pantages Theatre – Minneapolis, MN
    April 4 – Pantages Theatre – Minneapolis, MN
    April 6 – Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL
    April 7 – Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL
    April 10 – Pabst Theater – Milwaukee, WI
    April 12 – Honeywell Center – Wabash, IN
    April 13 – Walker Theater – Chattanooga, TN
    April 14 – Miller Theater – Augusta, GA
    April 15 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
    April 17 – War Memorial – Nashville, TN
    April 19 – Gillioz Theatre – Springfield, MO
    April 20 – S.E.Belcher Jr Chapel and Performance Center – Longview, TX
    April 21 – Paramount Theatre – Austin, TX
    April 22 – Wagner Noel Performance Arts Center – Midland, TX
    April 24 – tafford Centre for Performing Arts Theatre – Stafford, TX
    April 25 – Tobin Center for the Performing Arts – San Antonio, TX
    April 27 – The Majestic Theatre – Dallas, TX
    April 28 – Orpheum Theater – Wichita, KS
    April 29 – Folly Theater – Kansas City, MO
    May 1 – Paramount Theatre – Denver, CO
    May 3 – Avalon Theatre – Grand Junction, CO
    May 4 – Tuacahn Ampitheatre at Tuacahn Center for the Arts – Ivins, UT
    May 5 – Fox Tucson Theatre – Tuscon, AZ
    May 6 – Lensic Performing Arts Center – Senta Fe, NM
    May 8 – Meza Arts Center- Ikeda Theatre – Mesa, AZ
    May 9 – McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts – Palm Desert, CA
    May 11 – The Theatre at Ace Hotel – Los Angeles, CA
    May 12 – Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay – San Diego, CA
    May 15 – Crest Theatre – Sacramento, CA
    May 17 – Golden State Theatre – Monterey, CA
    May 18 – Turlock Community Theatre – Turlock, CA
    May 19 – Fox Theatre – Oakland, CA
    May 20 – Uptown Theatre – Napa, CA
    May 22 – Cascade Theatre – Redding, CA
    May 24 – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR
    May 25 – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR
    May 26 – Revolution Hall – Portland, OR
    May 27 – Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox – Spokane, WA
    May 29 – Moore Theatre – Seattle, WA
    May 31 – Grey Eagle Resort & Casino – Calgary, AB
    June 1 – Casino Regina – Show Lounge – Regina, SK
    June 2 – River Cree Casino and Resort Entertainment Centre – Enoch, AB
    June 3 – Esplanade Theatre – Medicine Hat, AB
    June 5 – Burton Cummings Theatre for the Performing Arts – Winnipeg, MB
    June 6 – Fargo Theatre – Fargo, ND
    June 8 – Columbia, MO – Jesse Auditorium – Columbia, MO
    June 9 – Surf Ballroom – Clear Lake, IA
    June 10 – Meyer Theatre – Green Bay, WI

  • Hearing Aide: Lettuce ‘Witches Stew’

    In the shadows beyond darkness and light, the ghost of Miles Davis begins to take flight. Swirling and blaring a trumpeter we know. A new face in the cauldron begins to show. With funk and synth and guitar riffs anew, out of the fire comes Lettuce’s Witches Stew.

    lettuce witches stew

    On October 13, just in time for Halloween, funk powerhouse Lettuce will release a new live album that pays tribute to the late Miles Davis, one of the band’s biggest and most beloved influences.

    Witches Stew is Lettuce’s eerie and psychedelic take on seven of Davis’ songs. As did the breakthrough 1970 album, Bitches Brew, Lettuce pairs their own funky guitar riffs and electronic keyboard with improvisational trumpet and saxophone.

    Recorded at the 2016 Catskill Chill Music Festival in Lakewood, PA, the album is a haunting mix of both jazz and funk that breathes new life into Davis’ tracks. “Shhh/Peaceful” was released as a single on September 29 marking the 26th anniversary of his death.

    A ghostly presence is felt throughout the album allowing the listener to lose themselves in the hypnotic and haunting grooves. A far cry from the days of Rage! and Fly, this album is more exploratory in nature with similarities to their most recent EP Mt. Crushmore.

    Witches Stew is the perfect soundtrack to a crisp fall night, sure to cast a spell on listeners old and young.

    Key tracks: Shhh/Peaceful, Sivad, Black Satin

  • Premiere: Swedish Pop Group Akaba Releases Video for “Starfly”

    Swedish band Akaba has released their newest video “Starfly,” a collaboration with Kjahart, who used stop motion film and also created the album cover art for The Rust Within, recorded at Roth Handle Studios in Stockholm, Sweden.

    Åsa Carild tells of the song’s background “I used to sing in a band that was, for a little while, very successful. Being very young at the time it became an important part of how I defined myself. When all that faded, I was no longer who I defined myself as. The song is about the struggle with this.”
    Akaba starfly

    Akaba will release their debut album The Rust Within on October 13 and will perform at Pianos in NYC on October 14. Doors open at 6:30, with Akaba performing at 7pm.

    Akaba was born from the ashes of two other prominent Swedish Indie bands, Pineforest Crunch and Reminder. Åsa Carild, Tobias Ljungkvist and Mattias Olsson have toured extensively in Sweden playing everything from Thai restaurants to 600 seat venues, as well as touring the west coast of the United States, Toronto, London and New York City. Follow Akaba on Facebook, Soundcloud, Instagram, and tune in on Spotify or order their album on Amazon.

  • Such Gold Fall Tour Will Hit Up Rochester and Brooklyn

    Such Gold sets off on a month-long tour today in support of their latest release Deep In A Hole. The itinerary includes a headliner in Rochester at The Bug Jar on Oct. 13, a show at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn on Oct. 20, and a set at The Fest in Gainesville, FL on Oct. 27. The first leg of the tour takes place in Canada with 88 Fingers Louie, Belvedere, and Sled. A handful of headlining shows follow, before they join up with A Wilhelm Scream, After The Fall and We Were Sharks for the remaining dates. Tickets are on sale now.

    Tour Dates:
    Oct. 6 – The Brass Monkey – Ottawa, QC*
    Oct. 7 – Pavilion des Pionniers – St. Hyacinthe, QC*
    Oct. 8 – Velvet Underground – Toronto, ON*
    Oct. 9 – Call The Office – London, ON
    Oct. 10 – Southgate House Revival – Newport, KY
    Oct. 11 – Reggie’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL w/ Pears
    Oct. 12 – Basement Transmissions – Erie, PA
    Oct. 13 – Bug Jar – Rochester, NY – with Taking Meds, California Cousins, and Barbarosa
    Oct. 19 – Stanhope House – Stanhope, NJ
    Oct. 20 – St. Vitus – Brooklyn, NY^
    Oct. 21 – Milkboy – Philadelphia, PA^
    Oct. 22 – Shakas – Virginia Beach, VA^
    Oct. 23 – Metro Gallery – Baltimore, MD^
    Oct. 24 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC^
    Oct. 25 – Pergatory – Atlanta, GA^
    Oct. 27 – High Dive – Gainsville, FL (THE FEST)^
    Oct. 30 – Metro Gallery – Baltimore, MD^
    Oct. 31 – Lizard Lounge – Lancaster, PA^

    * with 88 Fingers Louie, Belvedere, Sled

    ^with A Wilhelm Scream, After The Fall, We Were Sharks

  • Grateful Dead Musical Opens This Month

    An off-Broadway Grateful Dead musical based around the lyrics of Robert Hunter and the music of Jerry Garcia opens later this month.

    “Red Roses, Green Gold” opens at New York City’s Minetta Lane Theater in Greenwich Village on Oct. 29. The musical features music and lyrics by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia with additional music provided by founding members of the Grateful Dead Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bob Weir. Keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, who played with the “core four” founding members for the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead and currently plays with Weir, Hart and Bill Kreutzmann in Dead & Company, will provide musical supervision and arrangements for the musical.

    “Red Roses, Green Gold” is the third musical written by Michael Norman Mann that takes inspiration from the music of the Grateful Dead. The musical is directed and choreographed by Rachel Klein, director of “The Anthem” and “Around the World in 80 Days.”

    From the website: “This new musical set in 1920s Cumberland tells the fantastical and comical tale of Jackson Jones and his family of swindlers as they gamble their way to love and riches.”

    Tickets for “Red Roses, Green Gold” are on sale now. Previews begin Oct. 11.