Lotus has been on top of their game this year, bringing their heavy bass-line jams across the country and on Saturday, November 24, the quintet came to NYC and played to a packed show at the Playstation Theater in Times Square.
Set I: 128, Hammerstrike, Inspector Norse > Cosmosis, Cain & Abel, Travel > Greet the Mind
Set II: Slow Cookin > Wooly Mammoth, Faceblind, Through the Mirror > Sunrain, Spaghetti > Age of Inexperience
E: Strawberry Letter 23
You can catch the boys this winter at Dominican Holidaze and on their New Year’s Run. They play the Majestic Theater in Detroit and the Intersection in Grand Rapids before finishing with two nights at Park West on December 30 and 31.
The Long Island Music Hall of Fame, a non-profit organization, honors, in its own words, “a diverse array of performers, groups, and music industry leaders that have made significant contributions to Long Island’s rich music history,” and earlier this month the Hall witnessed its seventh annual induction ceremony, on Thursday, November 7 at popular music venue The Space at Westbury.
The LIMHOF Awards Ceremony inducted eleven new members and groups this year, and they included the likes of more recently important artists, like sensational pop-punk group Taking Back Sunday and formative hip hop artists E.P.M.D, as well as more early icons of the music business, like Woodstock Music Festival promoters Michael Lang and Artie Kornfield (inducted separately), and music composer Jimmy Webb (who wrote “Wichita Lineman” for country music superstar Glen Campbell).
The first segment of the night allowed patrons and press alike to get up close and personal with the award winners as they walked the red carpet into the lobby of The Space at Westbury and posed for both photo ops and field questions. Surely, the highlight of this portion of the evening for most present was the unexpected arrival upon the scene of the one and only Billy Joel. No doubt most thought the presenter at the entrance to the red carpet was kidding when he announced the name of the 69-year-old musical icon, but in the man strutted only moments later.
For its ceremony portion, held in the gracious and acoustically impressive performance area of The Space, The LIMHOF Ceremony saw speeches from both award winners and their close acquaintances—Joel, it turned out, had come to speak and not just surprise the venue with his presence—as well as gave the stage to some of the inductees for special and touching performances. Videos of award winners, showing their heydays that had helped earn them the night’s recognition, played behind them as they addressed the crowd. A particularly poignant example include singer-songwriter inductee Melanie, whom performed her seminal hit “Candles in the Rain” with a large choir group while an old video showed her doing the same all the way back in the early 1970s. The recreation of that musically historic moment that had touched lives back then was certainly a treat for both her longtime fan base and the rest of the attendees.
The press room at the Long Island Music Hall of Fame induction allowed award winners retreated after their showing on stage was a unique experience all in its own. To an intimate greeting of only a dozen or so reporters, these prolific artists and entrepreneurs of the music business answered questions up close and personal, while also delving into welcomed anecdotes of their life. Cousin Brucie, for example, shared stories of his storied career as a radio personality, such as the time that he introduced The Beatles at their legendary performance at Shea Stadium in 1966. What the award winners offered with these stories were bits of insight and truth into their musical worlds. Brucie, for example, said to reporters of The Fab Four: “At the time, none of us believed that The Beatles would be as big as they were.”
Tea Leaf Green recently celebrated 20 years as a band and was greeted with an exceptionally warm Northeast welcome. This run was special because the San Francisco-based jam quartet hasn’t visited the area in two years. These shows notably mark the second time bass player Eric DiBerardino played with Tea Leaf Green in the New York City Metro region. DiBerardino replaced bass superstar Reed Mathis in 2016. Fans are excited to be more acquainted with his style.
StageOne in Fairfield, CT (11/16/2018)
Described as a “coffee shop stage,” StageOne in Fairfield, CT offered fans a chance to see the band up close with great acoustics. The venue has a 225 person capacity, with seating on both sides of the stage. Tea Leaf Green rewarded those in attendance with a classic set of favorites.
The set began with “5000 Acres” and “Ride Together,” which got the crowd on their feet and grooving. Next up were “Make a Connection,” “Innocence” and the electro-funk jam “Germinating Seed,” featuring notable guitar segments from guitarist Josh Clark. The set wrapped up on a high note with the perennial hit “If It Wasn’t For the Money,” featuring outstanding vocals and smooth solos by keyboardist Trevor Garrod.
Set II picked up where Set I left off, starting with the funky “These Two Chairs“ and an electrified “Don’t Curse the Night.” The high energy “One Reason“ got the crowd ready for the first jam of the night, “Gasaholic.” Garrod’s soulful vocals and funky keyboard execution combined with Clark’s guitar improvisation made this an unforgettable rendition.
“All Of Your Cigarettes“ brought a few chill moments before Jordan Giangreco of The Breakfast joined Tea Leaf Green on stage, playing organ next to Garrod for the high energy favorites “Give Me One More Chance“ and “Incandescent Devil.” Musical nirvana between all five musicians was reached during the second jam of the night and closed the second set on a high note.
The encore brought the energy down to earth for the melodic Garrod classic, “Earth and Sky.”
Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY (11/17/2018)
Tea Leaf Green has a rich history of high energy jamming at the Brooklyn Bowl, which features a bowling alley adjacent to the stage. Gadadu and Greg Humphrey’s Electric Trio opened and got the crowd on their feet.
The band was ready to rock and roll from the very first song, “Devil’s Pay,” including eloquent vocals from Garrod and mind-numbing guitar solos by Clark. The harmonica-fueled “Let Us Go“ was the perfect precursor for the jam of the night, “Red Ribbons” > “Garden III.” Both are classic Tea Leaf Green songs, and “Garden” included a unique rock infused jam, which delighted longtime fans.
Garrod’s vocals and keyboard skills shined in “Been So Long“ and “Cops Took My Weed“ followed by a Clark electric guitar clinic in “Space Hero“ and “Hot Dog.” There is no question how talented this band is.
The soulful Garrod tune “Kali Yuga” closed out the set, and included celebration confetti from the audience. The encore began with “Carter Hotel,” an inspiring ballad sung by Clark. The show ended on a high note with the electric “Vote on Tuesday,” including more audience confetti to close this memorable night.
The Northeast was jubilant after two fantastic Tea Leaf Green shows and awaits their return for more soulful, funky improvisational rock and roll.
On Oct. 20, 90s alt-rockers Garbage made their debut at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester to a house packed with loyal fans, celebrating 20 years since the release of their album Version 2.0.
Garbage treated The Cap to the entirety of Version 2.0, but changed it up a bit playing it out of order and mixing in tracks from their other albums including covers of The Seeds’ “Can’t Seem To Make You Mine” and Big Star’s “Thirteen.”
The colorful Shirley Manson, whose image mimicked the cover of the Version 2.0 album, gave an expressive performance through the whole show with an amount of animation in concert with the aura of each song. Just before starting the encore, she gave an extended thank you to the fans for their support with some emotional pauses which only seemed to garner more applause from the crowd.
Though the band has its roots in Wisconsin and singer Shirley Manson is from Edinburgh, the show was a homecoming for co-founder/guitarist Steve Marker, a Westchester native who spent some time working at the theatre years ago.
The bottom line of Garbage’s show at The Cap is one of genuineness – between the band and audience the room felt like a close-knit family pouring their hearts out to one another.
Setlist:
Afterglow, Deadwood, Temptation Waits, Wicked Ways, Special, The World Is Not Enough, 13x Forever, Get Busy With the Fizzy, Hammering in My Head, Medication, Thirteen, Can’t Seem to Make You Mine, I Think I’m Paranoid, Sleep Together, Dumb, Soldier Through This, Lick the Pavement, Push It, When I Grow Up, You Look So Fine
Encore: The Trick Is to Keep Breathing, No Horses, Cherry Lips
This past Halloween, Long Island based prog rockers Dino Skatepark has released the music video for “Boogeyman.” The punk band gets heavy in “Boogeyman,” with eleven different time changes, and style changes from punk to jazz and metal. The video was filmed by local videographer Sean Johnson with direction inspired by Dino Skatepark vocalist Dylan Belpanno and drummer Joe Quinn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqWA_XdgIWg
Dino Skatepark has released four singles, including “East Quogue” released in June 2018 and are in the process of releasing four new songs throughout the course of the next few months accompanied by music and lyric videos. Stay tuned to Dino Skatepark on Facebook for updates and upcoming shows.
Beloved singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is featured in an upcoming Morrison Hotel Gallery entitled JONI. The exhibition is a collection of over a dozen photographers’ work who have captured her essence as a folk pioneer in addition to cultivating her artistic relationships of mutual respect and admiration.
The opening date for the photography exhibition and sale is Friday, Nov. 16. The event is being held at various locations: the Sunset Marquis Hotel location in Los Angeles, at the New York City gallery on Prince Street in SoHo and the gallery in Maui at Mick Fleetwood’s General Store and restaurant.
Morrison Hotel Gallery is proud to represent the world-class talents of a group of photographers who together have taken some of the most beautiful and timeless images of Joni Mitchell – an artist who many consider to be one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. — Morrison Hotel Gallery co-owner Peter Blachley
The photos range from Joel Bernstein’s gatefold Hijira album to Amalie R. Rothschild’s concert action shots to Norman Seef’s cover art and various sessions with Joni. Other photographers featuring Joni Mitchell include: Henry Diltz, Graham Nash, Baron Wolman, Bonnie Schiffman, Rowland Scherman, Ken Regan, Jay Blakesburg, David Gahr, and Guido Harari. These priceless images give life to Joni’s musical career from as earlier as 1967 at the Newport Folk Festival, through the late ’90s.
Aside from being the good friend of a great many gifted photographers, Joni Mitchell is remembered as one of the greatest musical artists of the late 20th century. Mitchell is well-known for her blues and jazz-infused style present in some of her long-praised folk tunes. She recently celebrated her 75th birthday earlier this month so this exhibition could not be more perfectly timed for fans to look back and honor the great Joni Mitchell.
Rap culture has been blessed with many genius artists and movements that have allowed it to evolve into one of the most popular genres in the world. Those pioneers are celebrated in lyrics/shoutouts by many current stars and respective hometowns take much pride in the influence they invested in the artist.
Friday marked another one of those celebrations and for none other than the infamous Wu-Tang Clan. Staten Island has officially named November 9th as Wu-Tang Clan day to pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of their legendary debut album: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
Their impact has transcended music and represented how their upbringing converted them into artists in their craft. Record label, Certified Classics, has displayed their appreciation for the timeless rap group in a new short film entitled: “For the Children: 25 Years of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).” It explores the background struggles and rise of the group in a world where they felt that music was their only voice. It even takes fans on a journey through production of signature songs and analysis of lyrical content.
For more modern fans of rap, the film also features interviews and appearances from new school artists including ASAP Rocky, ASAP, Ferg, Joey Bada$$ and other contemporary MCs known for their lyrical skill. They delve into their own influences from the Wu-Tang sound and how it molded their image to be a combination between classic and state of the art. Even 25 years later in a new era of music, their pages on streaming platforms boast millions of listens and impressive monthly listener statistics.
Watch the short film “For the Children: 25 Years of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” below. The Clan also performed live on “Good Morning America” Friday morning. You can also view that performance here.
Iron Maiden makes its return to North America next summer with the Legacy of the Beast Tour. The band, known for elaborate stage shows, is calling this tour its biggest production yet.
The tour will kick off July 18 in Sunrise, FL and visit arenas and amphitheaters throughout the U.S. and Canada next summer. The itinerary includes a July 26 stop at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and an Aug. 13 visit to Buffalo’s KeyBank Center.
Bassist Steve Harris said of the tour:
We gave a lot of thought to the set list for this Tour as the songs needed to follow the narrative of the changing worlds of the stage show. We feel we ended up with a very strong and well balanced set mixing songs we haven’t played in many years like ‘Flight of Icarus,’ ‘Sign of The Cross’and ‘The Clansman’with songs we know the fans want to hear like ‘The Trooper,’ ‘2 Minutes to Midnight,’ ‘The Number of The Beast,’ ‘Fear of The Dark,’ ‘Run to The Hills,’ ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’and others, reflecting the journey through the different themes of the show.
Tickets for most shows go on sale Nov. 16 at 10:00 a.m. local time. British band The Raven Age, which includes Harris’s son, George on guitar, will be the opener with Fozzy opening the Los Angeles show.
The North American leg is continuing the tour that sold out venues across Europe last year and included props such as a full-scale WWII-era Spitfire plane flying above the stage during the Powerslave track, “Aces High.”
The production is based around the Legacy of the Beast mobile game that takes the band’s mascot Eddie through various adventures though Iron Maiden’s history.
The band created a video to thank fans following the European tour. Check it out below.
Iron Maiden 2019 North American Tour Dates:
July 18 – BB&T Center – Sunrise, FL
July 20 – Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood – Atlanta, GA
July 22 – PNC Music Pavilion – Charlotte, NC
July 24 – Jiffy Lube Live – Washington DC July 26 – Barclays Center – Brooklyn, NY
July 30 – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA
Aug. 1 – Xfinity Center – Boston, MA
Aug. 3 – Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre
Aug. 5 – Bell Centre – Montreal, QC
Aug. 7 – Videotron Centre – Quebec, QC
Aug. 9 – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON
Aug. 10 – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON Aug. 13 – KeyBank Center – Buffalo, NY
Aug. 15 – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH
Aug. 17 – PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh, PA
Aug. 19 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
Aug. 22 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL
Aug. 24 – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center – Indianapolis, IL
Aug. 26 – Xcel Energy Center – St Paul, MN
Aug. 28 – Bell MTS Place – Winnipeg, MB
Aug. 30 – Rogers Place – Edmonton, AB
Aug. 31 – Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary, AB
Sept. 3 – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena – Vancouver, BC
Sept. 5 – Tacoma Dome – Tacoma, WA
Sept. 6 – Moda Center – Portland, OR
Sept. 9 – Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA
Sept. 10 – Oracle Arena – Oakland, CA
Sept. 13 – MGM Grand Garden Arena – Las Vegas, NV
Sept. 14 – Banc of California Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 17 – Talking Stick Resort Arena – Phoenix, AZ
Sept. 19 – Isleta Amphiteater – Albuquerque, NM
Sept. 21 – Dos Equis Pavilion – Dallas, TX
Sept. 22 – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – Houston, TX
Sept. 25 – AT&T Center – San Antonio, TX
Twiddle frontman Mihali recently released politically charged single “Fading State” for his upcoming album. The album is yet to be titled and fans are eagerly anticipating a release date. The new single features vocals from Nahko (Nahko and Medicine for the People) and Trevor Hall who support Mihali in this advocacy-driven single. Produced by Johnny Cosmic of Stick Figure, Mihali’s reggae single focuses on protecting the environment and putting aside political agendas for the greater good.
The issue is continuously met with opposition motivated by greed. It’s up to all of us as individuals to do what we can…to do our part to make a positive change in the world. With our current political climate, I think now is the perfect time for this single to be released.
Mihali refers to “Fading State” as the spark that influenced most of his newest musical creations. While the debut album is yet to be announced, glimpses of the anticipated album will show up throughout the course of Mihali’s solo December tour of the Northeast. There are four New York shows lined up in the rapid fire schedule below.
Mihali Tour Schedule:
Dec. 5 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
Dec. 6 – Spcae Ballroom – Hamden, CT Dec. 7 – Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY Dec. 8 – Funk ‘n Waffles – Syracuse, NY
Dec. 9 – Portland House of Music – Portland, ME
Dec. 11 – Wonder Bar – Asbury Park, NJ
Dec. 12 – 8 x 10 – Baltimore, MD Dec. 13 – BSP-3 – Kingston, NY
Dec. 14 – Jewel – Manchester, NH
Dec. 15 – Gateway City Arts – Holyoke, MA
Watch Mihali’s “Fading State” music video down below and get a feel for what to expect on his premier solo album.
Editor’s Note: This article was edited to correct the title of the song.
Lettuce launches the far-reaching and fast-paced Vibe Up 2019 tour in Rochester on Jan.10. The funk group will return to New York later for performances at the Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park on Jan. 12 and at Brooklyn Steel on Jan. 19.
The band’s legendary career spans two decades. Their sound has matured and “stewed” to perfection over time as evidenced on their latest album Witches Stew. The new album is contemporary jazz fusion inspired by and in tribute to Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew. It would be an oversight to ignore that music like Davis’ was what influenced and initially drew the group together at Boston’s Berklee College of Music in 1992.
Out-of-state, the tour will bring Lettuce to major cities like Boston, Nashville, Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, and more over the course of one month. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit the Lettuce website here.
[Witches Stew] “…groundbreaking release, the effort allows Lettuce to do justice to their influences, while still retaining their own collective persona.” – All About Jazz
Affectionately referred to as “Everybody’s favorite funk band” by Red Bull Music, Lettuce only has one performance left for 2018. Currently touring Witches Stew now, the last opportunity to see Lettuce live in 2018 is a special one-night only show with the Colorado Symphony in Denver on Nov. 10. See below for the full January 2019 Vibe Up Tour schedule.
Lettuce January Dates:
Jan. 10 – Anthology Live – Rochester, NY*
Jan. 11 – House of Blues – Boston, MA* Jan. 12 – Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY*
Jan. 13 – Higher Ground Ballroom – South Burlington, VT*
Jan. 15 – The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN*
Jan. 16 – St. Andrew’s Hall – Detroit, MI*
Jan. 17 – Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA*
Jan. 18 – Infinity Music Hall & Bistro – Hartford, CT* Jan. 19 – Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, NY
Jan. 22 – Whitaker Center – Harrisburg, PA
Jan. 23 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH
Jan. 24 – Madison Theater -Covington, KY
Jan. 25 – Marathon Music Works – Nashville, TN
Jan. 26 – Center Stage – Atlanta, GA
The tour will kick off July 18 in Sunrise, FL and visit arenas and amphitheaters throughout the U.S. and Canada next summer. The itinerary includes a July 26 stop at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and an Aug. 13 visit to Buffalo’s 
