Category: Brooklyn

  • Listen to the Premiere of Escaper’s sophomore album “Edge Detection”

    Space rockers Escaper, who perfectly blend funk, rock, jazz and fusion, today released their second album Edge Detection on Ropeadope Records. NYS Music is proud to premiere Edge Detection, recorded at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn with co-producer John Davis (Lettuce, Brad Mehldau, Black Keys). The opening track “Secret Weapon” is indeed that – with a slowly accelerating build infused with saxophone, the song gets grittier and nastier, and just when you think it’s fading out, Escaper storms back giving a Flying Frog Brigade level of intensity to the track. Give a listen to the album below.

    Escaper performs in Syracuse on Saturday at Funk ‘n Waffles with special guest Ryan Vendetti.

    While at The Bunker Studio, Escaper recorded over the course of two days with all five band members playing together simultaneously, while in isolated rooms. Bandleader and guitarist, Will Hanza, expresses, “This also allows for synergy to happen because instead of me playing with something that is already there and that not being able to react back to me, we can all react to each other together, alive in the moment. I think that is the most important thing. Our live show is really important to us and what we can do with that. We wanted to be able to capture that feel and that synergy in the studio as much as possible.”

    escaper edge detection

    The songs all had a set structure, but left plenty of room for improvisation right in the studio. The idea was to capture an in-the-moment feel of the musicians working off of each other. In regards to this, Will further states “The term ‘jam’ can be a loaded one, but the idea of having some concrete ideas, while still allowing the music to be open to take advantage of the moment is really important to us.”

    Escaper is featured on the lineups of Rock n Roll Resort and Disc Jam Music Festival, among others this festival season. For more dates and information, check out Escaper’s tour dates.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHYIt5rIZoE&list=PLNhsxcg6mM6vasFeA4-1NXxRenp5cerjX

  • Ghost Light, featuring Tom Hamilton and Holly Bowling, Announce U.S. Tour

    Ghost Light, combining the musical talents of Holly Bowling, Tom Hamilton, Steve Lyons, Raina Mullen and Scotty Zwang, will tour across the country this summer, with a stop at Brooklyn Bowl on April 11. 

    ghost light tom hamilton

    Ghost Light, a true musical collaboration, combines five personalities, five perspectives, and five unique approaches towards one common sound. The group initially got together in a recording studio in Philadelphia, developing songs and musical communication without pre-conceived notions of their sound. Scotty Zwang explains, “It’s a unique and interesting approach we get to take…we are being patient with each other and figuring out what the song needs.”

    Tom Hamilton says of the band’s formation, “Having played with everyone involved in a live setting before, I had a pretty firm grasp of what we all brought to the table and it was exciting. There is a wonderful freedom that comes with knowing that you don’t have to carry the entire load over the finish line. So when Raina and I were workshopping ideas to bring to this new band, we felt super comfortable going in any direction, knowing that with our new bandmates, the songs will get to where they needs to go. And in the live setting, that confidence is just as strong.”

    The first half of 2018 will see the band playing major venues in major markets coast to coast, followed by  stops at festivals including Peach Fest and Lockn’ Festival, with more to be announced. A debut studio release will be released later this year, followed by a supporting tour. 

    Ghost Light Tour Dates
    March 20 – Winstons – San Diego, CA
    March 21 – The Mint – Los Angeles, CA
    March 23 – 24 – Terrapin Crossroads – San Rafael, CA
    March 27 – Humboldt Brews – Arcata, CA
    March 28 – HiFi Lounge – Eugene, OR
    March 29 – Volcanic Theater Pub – Bend, OR
    March 30 – Mission Theater – Portland, OR
    March 31 – Lofi – Seattle, WA
    April 11 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
    April 12 – Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA
    April 13 – The Acoustic – Bridgeport, CT
    April 14 – Thunder Road – Boston, MA
    April 17 – Gypsy Sally’s – Washington, DC
    April 18 – Lincoln Theater – Raleigh, NC
    April 19 – 5 Points Sanctuary – Roanoke, VA
    April 20 – Asheville Music Hall – Asheville, NC
    May 10 – Aggie Theatre – Fort Collins, CO
    May 11 – Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO
    May 12 – Globe Hall – Denver, CO
    May 16 – City Winery – Chicago, IL
    May 17 – Founders Brewery – Grand Rapids, MI
    May 18 – Blind Pig – Ann Arbor, MI
    May 19 – Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH
    July 19 – 22 – Peach Music Festival – Scranton, PA
    August 24 – Lockn’ Festival – Arrington, VA

  • Consider the Source Announce Coast-to-Coast Spring Tour

    Consider the Source has announced a Spring Tour, spanning the entire country coast to coast over 31 shows across March, April and May.  The first two shows of the tour find the trio opening for Pink Talking Fish at The Capitol Theatre on Feb. 10, and supporting funk/soul legends Soulive at Ardmore Music Hall on March 2. The next night the band then heads into Brooklyn to perform at House of Yes with You Bred Raptors? before taking a few weeks off prior to a cross country tour.

    consider the source coastConsider the Source were recently guests on Adult Swim’s Fishcenter Live. If you missed the episode, stream it here.

    Feb. 10 – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY*
    March 2 – Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA#
    March 3 – House of Yes – Brooklyn, NY%
    March 30 – Chameleon Club – Lancaster, PA%
    April 4 – Buffalo Iron Works – Buffalo, NY
    April 5 – Woodlands Tavern – Columbus, OH
    April 6 – Reggies Music Joint – Chicago, IL
    April 7 – Source Public House – Menasha, WI
    April 8 – The Frequency – Madson, WI
    April 12 – The Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO
    April 13 – Lost Lake – Denver, CO
    April 14 – The Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO@
    April 18 – Filling Station – Bozeman, MT
    April 19 – Red Room Lounge – Spokane, WA
    April 20 – High Dive – Seattle, WA
    April 21 – Analog Cafe – Portland, OR
    April 22 – HiFi Music Hall – Eugene, OR
    April 25 – The Dip – Redding, CA
    April 26 – Humboldt Brews – Arcata, CA
    April 27 – Alibi Ale Works – Truckee, CA
    April 28 – Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA
    May 2 – Mohawk – Austin, TX
    May 3 – Gas Monkey – Dallas, TX
    May 4 – The Abbey Underground – Denton, TX
    May 5 – The Shrine – Tulsa, OK
    May 9 – Zydeco – Birmingham, AL
    May 10 – High Rock Outfitters – Lexington, NC
    May 11 – Bright Box – Winchester, VA
    May 18 – King’s Rook Club – Erie, PA
    May 19 – Hookahville – Bellefontaine, OH
    May 26 – StrangeCreek Campout – Greenfield, MA

    *w/ Pink Talking Fish
    #w/ Soulive
    %w/ You Bred Raptors?
    @w/ The Jauntee & Sixty Minute Men
  • Primus and Mastodon Pairing Up For Huge Summer Tour

    Primus and Mastodon are hitting the road together this year for a huge summer tour. Stretching non-step from the beginning of May to early July, the tour will circumvent virtually the entire country.

    Primus Mastodon And talk about a great first show to kick things off! On May 6, the two bands will rage Red Rocks Amphitheater for what should be an especially memorable night. The majority of May will take them through the south, to venues in cities like Dallas, Nashville, Alabama and Georgia, before late May and early June starts their northeast leg. Along with dates in Portland, Asbury Park, Providence and others, they will play three New York venues: Artpark Amphitheater in Lewiston, Cool Insuring Arena in Glen Falls, and Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk.

    The rest of June will take them back out towards the midwest and west, from Columbus to Chicago, to Indianapolis and then farther out to spots like Bonner, Montana, Seattle Washington, and Bend, Oregon. Primus and Mastodon wrap it all up on July 7 at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, AZ.

    The pairing of these two hard rock titans should be a dream matchup for fans of either band. Primus will be supporting their 2017 release, the storybook concept album The Desaturating Seven. Mastodon is also coming off its own 2017 release, Emperor in Sand. Both albums have received ample praise across the major music news sources, and have certainly resulted in some tremendous recent shows from each artist.

    Tickets are now available for all summer shows, and you can get them by visiting either Primus or Mastodon’s websites.

    Primus and Mastodon 2018 Summer Tour Schedule:

    May 6 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater
    May 8 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
    May 10 – Dallas, TX – Southside Ballroom
    May 11 – Austin, TX – Austin 360 Amphitheater
    May 12 – Rogers, AR – Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
    May 14 – Birmingham, AL – BJCC Concert Hall
    May 15 – Nashville, TN – Nashville Municipal Auditorium
    May 16 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theater
    May 18 – Portsmouth, VA – Portsmouth Pavilion
    May 19 – Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
    May 20 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
    May 22 – Reading, PA – Diamond Credit Union Theater @ Santander
    May 23 – Lewiston, NY – Artpark Amphitheater
    May 25 – Glen Falls, NY – Cool Insuring Arena
    May 26 – Providence, RI – Bold Point Park
    May 27 – Portland, ME – TBA
    May 29 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
    May 30 – Philadelphia, PA – Penn’s Landing – Festival Pier
    June 1 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summerstage
    June 2 – Baltimore, MD – Pier 6 Pavilion
    June 3 – Brooklyn, NY – Ford Amphitheater @ Coney Island Boardwalk
    June 5 – Columbus, OH – Express Live! Outdoor Amphitheatre
    June 6 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
    June 8 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
    June 9 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheater at Freedom Hill
    June 10 – Indianapolis, IN – Farmer’s Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park
    June 12 – Cincinnati, OH – PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center
    June 14 – Minneapolis, MN – MYTH LIVE
    June 15 – Bonner Springs, KS – Providence Medical Center Amphitheater
    June 16 – Camdenton, MO – Ozarks Amphitheater
    June 18 – Lincoln, NE – Pinewood Bowl Theater
    June 21 – Bonner, MT – Kettlehouse Amphitheater
    June 22 – Seattle, WA – Marymoor Park
    June 23 – Bend, OR – Les Schwab Amphitheater
    June 25 – Troutdale, OR – Edgefield
    June 28 – Avila Beach, CA – Avila Beach Resort Amphitheater
    June 29 – Berkeley, CA –  The Greek Theatre
    June 30 – Lincoln, CA – Thunder Valley Resort Casino
    July 2 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Great Salt Air – Outdoors
    July 3 – Las Vegas, NV – Downtown Event Center
    July 5 – Los Angeles, CA  The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley
    July 6 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theater
    July 7 – Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theatre

  • Gary Numan Brings ‘The Savage North American Tour’ to Brooklyn Steel

    A relatively mild December evening and a quick walk from the L train brought us to another excellent show as part of Brooklyn Steel’s inaugural year. Gary Numan, who first gained notoriety in the late 70’s as a member of the band Tubeway Army, was welcomed to the stage by an opening set from NYC’s own Me Not You.

    Numan’s tour brought the live debut of songs from his 21st and latest studio album, Savage (Songs From A Broken World) released September 2017. The album dons a rather tasty industrial synth sound. When performed live at Brooklyn Steel, many more nuances were uncovered in the songs through Numan and his band’s theatrical performance.

    Though Numan has so far had a long career, his performance had a freshness untinged by the years. During his set, Numan tapped albums from throughout his career including a track he performed in the 1970’s prior to going solo with the band Tubeway Army. Along with his band, Numan locked in a steady power between his older songs and those off of Savage.

    After seeing Numan’s performance – the energy, enthusiasm (from the whole band, too), and creativity in the new music from Savage – he shows that there is still a drive at this point in his career to continue being a creative force in electronic music.

    Setlist:

    Ghost Nation, Metal, Everything Comes Down To This, Films, Bed of Thorns, Down in the Park, Pray for the Pain You Serve, Here in the Black, Mercy, Love Hurt Bleed, My Name is Ruin, Cars, When the World Comes Apart, A Prayer for the Unborn

    Encores: M.E., Are ‘Friends’ Electric?, I Die: You Die

  • Teddy Midnight launches GoFundMe for new album, add Danny Caridi to lineup

    Brooklyn’s Teddy Midnight has returned to touring following a short break, joining NYC’s Rogue Agency and adding Chromatropic’s Danny Caridi as keyboardist. They recently launched a GoFundMe for their upcoming studio album, and will perform select shows in the Northeast this winter.

    teddy midnight danny caridiTeddy Midnight’s sound has always been eclectic, combining jam, house and funk, but are gearing towards a more electronic/dance sound, as evidenced in recent shows that pull on influences including LCD Soundsystem and Daft Punk. “We take a lot of influence from acts like Disclosure, Todd Terje and Caribou. These are groups
    that bring studio quality music to the live stage with unforgettable performances,” says bassist Sean Silva.

    Having written and recorded new music over the last six months, Teddy Midnight has two albums worth of material that will be released for free over the course of the year, and has started a GoFundMe to cover mastering at Joe Lambert Studio, who has mastered Animal Collective, Johnny Cash and more.

    Listen to a teaser of French Press below and stay tuned for tour dates from Teddy Midnight with new member Danny Caridi.

  • Birocratic Releases Latest Single “Extra Fresh”

    Brooklyn-based beatmaker and hip-hop instrumentalist Birocratic has released his latest single “Extra Fresh” along with a tongue-in-cheek infomercial music video.

    Birocratic, real name Brandon Rowan, initially rose to fame as a student at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute, where his dorm room beat-tape releases Beets and Leftovers became YouTube sensations, and most recently has made official remixes for GRiZ. On “Extra Fresh,” Birocratic pays homage to 80s and 90s house, funk, and hip hop, with familiar synth melodies and deep bass lines.

    Birocratic will tour this summer throughout North America.

  • I Set My Friends On Fire Heading Out on 10th Anniversary Tour

    I Set My Friends On Fire launch their You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter 10th anniversary tour in a couple weeks. The set will comprise of the entire debut album played from beginning to end. This coast to coast U.S. tour starts in Pittsburgh on Feb. 15, and hits Kingsland in Brooklyn on Feb. 22 and Mohawk Place in Buffalo on Feb. 25. Support for the tour comes from Long Island metal band Kissing Candice and Australian rockers Awaken I Am. Tickets are on sale now.

    “It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since this crazy journey started,” says guitarist Nate Blasdell, a resident of Rochester, NY. “Although the band has gone through so many changes from being two high school students from Miami making music after school on a laptop to five best friends from all around the U.S. touring the world, this album is the footprint that got it at all started. We are so excited to bring this throwback to the fans that have stuck with us for so long.”

    You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter 10 Year Anniversary Tour Dates:

    Feb. 15 – Pittsburgh PA – The Funhouse @ Mr. Smalls Theater
    Feb. 16 – Fayetteville NC – Drunk Horse Pub
    Feb. 17 – Savannah GA – Aura Fest @ S.O.T.S. Maritime Museum
    Feb. 18 – Richmond VA – The Camel
    Feb. 20 – Stanhope NJ – The Stanhope House
    Feb. 21 – Baltimore MD – The Ottobar
    Feb. 22 – Brooklyn NY – Kingsland
    Feb. 23 – Philadelphia PA – The Voltage Lounge
    Feb. 24 – Providence RI – Fete Music Hall
    Feb. 25 – Buffalo NY – Mohawk Place
    Feb. 27 – Pontiac MI – The Pike Room @ The Crofoot
    Feb. 28 – Chicago IL – The Beat Kitchen
    March 1 – St. Louis MO – Fubar
    March 2 – Merriam KS – Aftershock
    March 3 – Wichita KS – Rock Island Live
    March 4 – Denver CO – The Marquis Theater
    March 6 – Seattle WA – Studio Seven
    March 7 – Portland OR – The Analog Theater
    March 9 – Sacramento CA – The Holy Diver
    March 10 – San Diego CA – Soma Side Stage
    March 11 – Los Angeles CA – 1720
    March 13 – Scottsdale AZ – Pub Rock
    March 14 – Albequerque NM – The Launchpad
    March 16 – Oklahoma City OK – 89th Street Collective

  • Photo Gallery: The Seventh Annual Wintercourse

    The 7th Annual Wintercourse was held at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on Saturday, January 20, 2018 on a warm and wonderful winter night filled with smiles, hugs, and good music.

    wintercourse 2018Space Carnival brought the heat early, showcasing their dance laden jams as well as their heavier prog side, ending on a high note of their newly released single “Queen of Cups.” Six year Wintercourse veterans Cousin Earth played a set stacked full of high energy originals and unique covers including a throwback to Saturday Night Live’s “Natalie Portman Rap” and the Disney after school classic, “Tale Spin.” Headliner Bella’s Bartok puts on a show like no other, with a high energy dance party of klesmer and punk that was absolutely magnificent.

    Teddy Midnight took the stage as the final act of Wintercourse 2018, delivering a set filled with surprises. The group brought up Tara Lawton and Joey Calfa of Cousin Earth, with Tara singing on “American Boy” by Estelle (complete with rapped verses by band members) and Calfa to ripping up the Teddy classic “Turkish Silva.” Bringing their trademark live house vibes, they covered Daft Punk’s “Face to Face” as well as a heavily improvised New Deal/Daft Punk Medley to round out the night.

  • Freaks Ball: Then and Now

    Born from one man’s desire to unite the familiar-faced strangers seen at the shows he was regularly attending solo, the Freaks List has become one of, if not the most, influential internet groups in the jam scene, or any other scene for that matter.

    freaks ball

    A Long Island-based scientist named Aaron Stein was sick of going to concerts by himself and knew he couldn’t be the only one. Tipped off by the fact that each night, in each venue, for each band, the same fans were standing in the same rooms, in the same city. It was in response to this, that eighteen years ago this week, like-minded concertgoers across the greater New York City area were given a place to meet each other. The Freaks List was born, and with it came a now eighteen-year running party known as The Freaks Ball.

    In the early years, The Freaks list has was credited with jumpstarting the popularity of such acts as Robert Randolph and the Family Band and The Benevento/Russo Duo. The list’s members began talking about these emerging acts popping up in the New York City club scene, and having them play the annual The Freaks Ball. Scott Metzger’s RANA, The New Mastersounds, Apollo Sunshine, Chris Harford & the Band of Changes (featuring Dean Ween), The Squad (a variation of Lettuce), Ollabelle, Tom Hamilton’s American Babies, Skerik, Mike Dillon, Anders Osborne and more were all featured in the yearly Freaks celebration within the first decade of conception. The event had been held in venues such as Tribeca Blues, Southpaw, The Bowery Ballroom, and Sullivan Hall just to name a few. In more recent years The Freaks Ball has called Brooklyn Bowl its home.

    freaks ball

    Freaks Ball XII featured the Freaks Ball-Stars that included Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds), Joe Russo, Marco Benevento, Ron Johnson (Warren Haynes Band), Eric Deutch and special guests Eric Krasno, Scott Metzger and Warren Haynes. Also in 2012 Bustle In Your Hedgerow (Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Dave Dreiwitz & Scott Metzger) paid an absolutely astonishing tribute to Led Zeppelin. After putting together a seemingly impossible lineup to top XII, the 2013 Freaks Ball would bring Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Dave Dreiwitz & Scott Metzger together again for what was meant to be a one-off tribute to the Grateful Dead. They called it Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. And so it was, some thirteen years after giving The Benevento/Russo Duo and RANA an opening spot behind Robert Randolph and the Family Band at the Bowery Ballroom, The Freaks Ball would birth what we are now simply calling JRAD. Maybe you have heard of them?

    In the last handful of years, The Ball would feature JRAD two more times as well as WOLF!, Stirrers (Eric Krasno, Neal Evans & Joe Russo), Superhuman Happiness, and last year hosted just the third Benevento/Russo Duo performance since 2010. Boasting a resume as strong as this, one can only ask themselves, “what could possibly come next?” On Friday, January 19th The Freaks got their answer.

    freaks ball

    This year’s Freaks Ball was headlined by the Neal Casal-led, Grateful Dead-inspired group from California and Colorado, Circles Around The Sun. The Westcoast psychedelic improvisational group drew support from Brooklyn-based DJ Kevin Kendrick, as well as a rare appearance from the band Hola! featuring none other than (you guessed it) Joe Russo and Scott Metzger alongside Andy Hess, and Avi Bortnick. It is safe to say that Circles Around the Sun, Hola!, and DJ Kevin Kendrick are not acts to pass on if given the opportunity. None of them have extensive touring schedules in 2018. All have them have just been added to the elite roster of bands and musicians chosen by The Freaks, for The Freaks.

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