NYS Music 20​17

Tag: Music News

  • 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.

  • Holly Brown to step down as executive director of Palace Performing Arts

    The curtain is rising on exciting changes for the Palace Theatre, but its top executive is exiting stage left at the end of the month. In a prepared statement released Thursday, Oct. 19, Holly Brown stated she will move on from her position after five years at the helm of the Palace Performing Arts Center. Susan Rosko Fogarty will step in as executive director.

    “It has been my privilege and my pleasure to run this beautiful and beloved theatre,” stated Brown, adding praise to the Palace staff. “There is a saying in this industry that you are only as good as ‘what walks on the stage.’ My goal has been to not only increase the number of event nights at the theatre, but to bring in some of the biggest names in the business.”

    The Palace has more than doubled its featured events, from 77 in 2009-10 to 170 in 2015-16, during Brown’s five years as executive director. The move comes just months following the PPAC’s acquisition of the 86-year old theatre from the City of Albany, which paved the way for a $65 million expansion and renovation project for the Capital City venue.

    PPAC Chairman Alan Goldberg credited Brown for the Palace’s reputation for its “diverse, outstanding and high-caliber programming.”

    “Under Holly’s direction, the [PPAC] is known for its diverse, outstanding and high-caliber programming which has translated into financial success.”

    Fogarty has already been named as Brown’s replacement. Goldberg cited Fogarty’s 25-plus years of arts and business experience within the same statement. Fogarty previously served in various sales and marketing roles for V2 Records and Sony/BMG. She has also worked as a leader in the financial district, and most recently as senior vice president of the Capital District YMCA.

    This article was originally published by The Spot 518 and is the property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and appears as a special to NYS Music. TheSpot518 and NYS Music work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene in the Capital District and New York state, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com.

  • Fats Domino, Rock Pioneer, Dead at 89

    Fats Domino, whose boogie-woogie style of piano playing influenced generations of rock n’ roll musicians, died Tuesday in Louisiana. He was 89.

    Born Antoine Domino, Jr. in New Orleans in 1928, the pianist and singer was second only to Elvis Presley in sales during the early rock n’ roll era of the late ’50s and early ’60s.

    Domino’s string of hits included “Ain’t That a Shame,” “Blueberry Hill” and “Walking to New Orleans.” His New Orleans upbringing influenced his music, incorporating the rollicking piano style of Fats Waller and Professor Longhair.

    Domino’s influence has carried on through the works of the Beatles, Cheap Trick, Led Zeppelin and Randy Newman. While he is largely credited with being one of the fathers of rock n’ roll, Domino dismissed the notion, telling Rolling Stone, “it wasn’t anything but the same rhythm and blues I’d been playin’ down in New Orleans.”

    Domino’s relationship with his long time co-writer and producer Dave Bartholomew generated a string of hits as well as a style of production that influenced Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound. Bartholomew brought extra bass and drums into the studio to assure they could be heard above Domino’s piano. Bartholomew said of his late partner, “just like the cornerstone — you build a new church and you lay the cornerstone, and if the church burns down, the cornerstone is still there.”

    He was married in 1947 to Rosemary Hall and they had eight children, all with names that began with the letter A.

  • Watch Jon Lewis Band’s Spooky Music Video for “Let Me Go”

    Just in time for the witching season, Jon Lewis Band created a music video inspired by classic black and white horror movies. Filmed on location in their hometown of Rochester, the monster chase includes scenes from local landmarks such as the Cinema Theater and Mount Hope Cemetery. The band used delightfully cheesy low tech filming techniques reminiscent of classic B movies from Hollywood’s golden age.

    The song “Let Me Go” comes from Jon Lewis Band‘s latest EP, Baby Brother. It’s their second release of the year. The first, Exquisite Corpse, is a contender for best local album in City Newspaper’s annual “Best Of” reader’s poll.

  • ‘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

  • Mickie James, Josh Halverson and More Honored at Native American Music Awards Held In Niagara Falls

    The 17th Annual Native American Music Awards were held on Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Events Center at Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino. The night was filled with performances, from traditional drums to dub step music. Among the honorees were country musician Mickie James and The Voice finalist Josh Halverson.

    Mickie James

    Mickie James was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame. The recording artist and WWE Superstar also took the award for Song of the Year with “Shooting Blanks.”

    Josh Halverson was named Artist of the Year. The singer/songwriter from Texas recently released a new album, Year of the Thunderbird, which took the award for Best Folk Recording.

    Josh Halverson

    Plans are underway to rebroadcast the performance. Visit the Native American Music Awards for updates, or join their mailing list to be alerted to the latest news.

    NYS Music congratulates all the winners and nominees for the 17th annual Native American Music Awards.

    2017 WINNERS

    Artist of the Year
    Josh Halverson
    “Year of the Thunderbird”

    Debut Artist of the Year
    Lucas Ciliberti
    “Rainmaker”

    Debut Group of the Year
    Black Bear Brothers
    “Songs from Cheyenne Creek”

    Best Female Artist
    Kelly Derrickson
    “I Am”

    Flutist of the Year
    Randy McGinnis
    “The Journey – hi a vi si i”

    Group of the Year
    The Cody Blackbird Band
    “Live From Chicago”

    Best Male Artist
    Conrad Benally
    “Always And Forever”

    Record of the Year
    “Hoka”
    Nahko and Medicine For The People

    Song of the Year
    “Shooting Blanks”
    Mickie James

    Best Music Video
    “Indomitable”
    DJ Shub & Northern Cree Singers

    Best Music Video For A Performance
    “Ascension”
    Jan Michael Looking Wolf Band

    Best Music Video For A Narrative
    “Never Give Up”
    Artson, Supaman & Quese Imc

    Native Heart
    Bearheart Kokopelli
    Bernhard Mikuskovics (3rd from left)
    “Native Heart”

    Best Country Recording
    “You’ve Got to Go Back the Way That You Came”
    Danielle Egnew

    Best Folk Recording
    “Year of the Thunderbird”
    Josh Halverson

    Best Gospel/Inspirational
    “Awake, Arise and Shine”
    Callie Bennett

    Best Instrumental Recording
    “Songs of the Earth”
    Vince Redhouse

    Best Native American Church Recording
    “Simplicity”
    Cheevers Toppah

    Best Pop Recording
    “Celebration”
    Cherokee National Youth Choir

    Best Pow Wow Recording
    “It’s A Cree Thing”
    Northern Cree

    Best Rap/Hip Hop/R&B Recording
    “The 7th Generation Prophecy”
    Sten Joddi

    Best Rock / Best Blues Recording
    “Take Me Back”
    Levi Platero

    Best Traditional Recording
    “Before America”
    James Edmund Greeley

    Best Waila Recording
    “Creed and Culture”
    Native Creed

    Lifetime Achievement Award
    Gary Farmer

    Honorary Award of Excellence
    Arthur Redcloud

    Hall of Fame
    Mickie James

  • Gord Downie, Tragically Hip Frontman, Dead at 53

    Charismatic frontman and Canadian national treasure, Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip passed away Tuesday night at the age of 53.

    Tragically Hip Cancer Gord DownieDownie was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in December 2015. It was discovered after he suffered a seizure.

    The diagnosis wasn’t publicly revealed until May of last year when the band also announced a final Tragically Hip tour. The Hip, with Downie (vocals), Rob Baker (guitar), Paul Langlois (guitar), Gord Sinclair (bass) and Johnny Fay (drums) embarked on a 15 show cross-Canada tour in 2016, culminating in a nationally-broadcast show in their hometown of Kingston, ON on Aug. 20.

    Gord Downie
    Gord Downie assessing the situation in Canandaigua.

    A statement issued on the band’s website spoke of the inevitability of Downie’s passing, “Gord knew this day was coming – his response was to spend this precious time as he always had – making music, making memories and expressing deep gratitude to his family and friends for a life well lived, often sealing it with a kiss…on the lips.” Downie made a point to kiss his bandmates on the lips at the end of each performance on the Man Machine Poem tour in 2016 to show his love for them. The full statement from the Downie family:

    Last night Gord quietly passed away with his beloved children and family close by.

    Gord knew this day was coming – his response was to spend this precious time as he always had – making music, making memories and expressing deep gratitude to his family and friends for a life well lived, often sealing it with a kiss… on the lips.

    Gord said he had lived many lives. As a musician, he lived “the life” for over 30 years, lucky to do most of it with his high school buddies. At home, he worked just as tirelessly at being a good father, son, brother, husband and friend. No one worked harder on every part of their life than Gord. No one.

    We would like to thank all the kind folks at KGH and Sunnybrook, Gord’s bandmates, management team, friends and fans. Thank you for all the help and support over the past two years.

    Thank you everyone for all the respect, admiration and love you have given Gord throughout the years – those tender offerings touched his heart and he takes them with him now as he walks among the stars.

    Love you forever Gord.

    The Downie Family

    Downie’s final days were spent championing indigenous causes, forming The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund to support reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous people in Canada. Chanie Wenjack was a young indigenous boy who died while trying to escape one of Canada’s now defunct residential schools in 1966. Downie released a solo album entitled Secret Path, accompanied by a graphic novel, last October to bring light to Wenjack’s death and the impact of the residential schools on Canada’s indigenous people.

    As a result of his tireless work for the First Nations people, Downie was honored at a ceremony given by the Assembly of First Nations last December. National Chief Perry Bellegarde bestowed an eagle feather, a symbol of the creator, on Downie and gave him an honorary aboriginal name, Wicapi Omani, which means “man who walks among the stars.”

    Gordon Edgar Downie was born in Kingston, ON on Feb. 6, 1964. He attended the Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, where he met his future bandmates. Davis Manning was an original member of the band as saxophonist. He was replaced by Langlois in 1986. The band inked a deal with MCA Records after an appearance at Toronto’s famed Horseshoe Tavern, releasing its self-titled EP in 1987. The follow-up Up to Here in 1989 produced four hit singles for the Hip in Canada, “Blow at High Dough,” “New Orleans is Sinking,” “38 Years Old” and “Boots or Hearts.”

    The band’s blues-based sound and poetic Canadiana lyrics endeared them to Canadians of all walks and perhaps kept the Hip from success in the U.S., aside from the border towns. Nonetheless, the Hip became Canadian rock royalty, garnering 16 Juno Awards (Canada’s equivalent of the Grammys), the Order of Canada, induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and a street naming in their hometown.

    Over the course of 30 years, 14 Tragically Hip albums, five solo efforts (with another set for release on Oct. 27) and many collaborations, Gord Downie was a champion of music, especially Canadian music. The Hip brought many Canadian artists with them on tour, including the Arkells, Rheostatics, the Sadies, Eric’s Trip, Spirit of the West, the Inbreds and Ron Sexsmith among others. Many of them have left fond remembrances. Max Kerman of the Arkells told CBC Radio’s “Q” podcast, “Gord taught me that it’s OK to dance.” The Toronto Globe and Mail tweeted, “Gord Downie, troubador of Canada, charmed and challenged a nation.”

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, visibly emotional, delivered a statement on Wednesday, describing Downie as one who “gave us goosebumps and made us proud to be Canadian.”

    But Downie was more than a musician. Downie was an activist. He was a performer. He was a poet. He was an actor. Gord Downie was a treasure. To gather an image of who Gord Downie was, the New York Times said it best, “The place of honor that Mr. Downie occupies in Canada’s national imagination has no parallel in the United States. Imagine Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Michael Stipe combined into one sensitive, oblique poet-philosopher, and you’re getting close.”

    Farewell, Mr. Downie. “It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

  • New Music Series Debuts in Troy with Performance by Sax Prodigy Henry James Fernandez

    FAIRE Productions is partnering with The Shop in Troy to present a series which showcases east coast musicians. FAIRE-IT kicks off this Thursday, Oct. 19 with a free performance by Henry James Fernandez and his jazz/funk trio.

    The saxophonist from Niskayuna, NY currently attends the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and plays original compositions as well as beloved classics. For more information, visit FAIRE Productions.

    https://youtu.be/q0-Ns_kBy0M

  • Warren Haynes’ 29th Annual Christmas Jam Lineup Announced

    Artists have been announced for the 29th annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. The event will take place on Dec. 9 at its usual stomping grounds at the U.S. Cellular Center in Warren’s hometown of Asheville, NC. Christmas Jam will once again see a stellar lineup at this year’s benefit to help raise money for Habit for Humanity in the Asheville area.

    Headlining the show will be Gov’t Mule, with special guest Ann Wilson form Heart (making her first appearance at the event), who will perform with the band during their set. The holiday jam session will also include Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB, the Avett Brothers, Les Bros. and Blackberry Smoke. Also, special guest musicians Jake Shimabukuro, Holly Bowling, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Kevn Kinney, and Mike Barnes will sit in throughout the evening, with more soon to be announced.

    Habitat for Humanity will take the proceeds from the event to help construct energy-efficient new houses along with purchasing and developing land for Habitat subdivisions. The project has raised over two million dollar, and has seen the construction of 36 houses to date. This year’s Christmas Jam House will be built in the non-profit organization’s new 21-house community in Arden (South Asheville). The Grammy award winning artist curated the event 29 years ago and spent the last 19 years working closely with Habit for Humanity in Asheville on these projects.

    A limited pre-sale will be available on Oct 19, where fans can get their hands on four-packs, VIP tickets, and travel packages. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Oct. 26. An increased number of seats in the balcony will be made available during both pre-sale and general sale times. Fans will have the flexibility to leave, and return to their balcony seats and mingle downstairs to the open general admission floor area during the more than seven hour long show.