Singer-songwriter Ariana Grande will return to the Capital Region for the first time since her Honeymoon Avenue World Tour in 2015, and kicks off her 4th World Tour, featuring her new album Sweetener, at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY on March 18, 2019. Ticket pre-sale for the Sweetener World Tour begins November 1st through November 3rd via American Express.
The pop princess revealed on Wednesday October 24 via Twitter that she would soon announce the world tour dates for her latest album, released in August earlier this year. Not one to disappoint, the next day Grande shared her initial U.S. performances on arianagrande.com as well as posting them on her Twitter. The singer has promised that fans abroad can expect international tour dates to be announced.
Former Victorious actress is also planning on making three other appearances in New York during the course of her tour, one in Western NY followed up by hitting two major performance venues in NYC. Falling soon after her Albany concert, Grande’s third Sweetener performance brings her to the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY on March 22, 2019. The last two dates announced for the U.S.-portion of the Sweetener tour are June 14 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the famous Madison Square Garden on June 18, 2019.
Tickets are on sale now via AXS and Eventbrite for the long awaited headliners’ May 2, 2019 concert in Morrison, CO. Anyone who knows the iconic stage can tell this is a summer event people will talk about long after the two Northeast-based bands bow out. Kitchen Dwellers are set to make a special appearance along with co-headliners Twiddle and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at Red Rocks.
Twiddle
While Twiddle has headlined Red Rocks once before, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong are eagerly anticipating this May as their first Red Rocks performance as headliners. Sharing this experience with Twiddle in particular, makes it extra special for the quartet of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. They have a unique bond with Twiddle, based on previous venues they’ve shared together in the last five years.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong High Voltage by Justin Mierzejewski of Miz Changes Photography
Here’s some perspective from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong frontman Greg Ormont:
“Words cannot express our excitement to play Red Rocks again… Not only do we get to rock out at one the best venues in the world, but we get to do it alongside our longtime friends Twiddle. We’ve played some shows in Colorado together before, but co-headlining at Red Rocks is the next level. We’re super grateful for the opportunity”
The two groups really developed alongside each other — from their initial smaller pull of about 200 audience members to now headlining a major venue like Red Rocks together. Ormont described the upcoming Red Rocks concert as being like a, “dream to come true.” Fans can expect a collaborative rock-funk sound that the two bands are able to produce due their familiarity with one another.
The Revivalists will be performing tracks from their soon-to-be released LP Take Good Care at NYC’s historic Beacon Theatre on Jan. 16 and 17, 2019 as part of their recently announced upcoming tour.
The 18-date escapade starts Jan. 11 in Washington, DC — see full list of dates below — after which the popular alternative group will soon head for NYC. The Beacon Theatre performance is a must see. Cultural commentators from online magazine Uproxx and longtime Los Angeles magazine Flaunt both recognize the group’s talent, spirit, and virtuosity by observing:
“…elements of just about every classic school of American music…it feels as new and engaging as it does familiar and comfortable…” – Uproxx
“… a raucous American band making big-hearted music with an ear for instant-classic hooks…a thick, soulful musical gumbo…” – Flaunt
Tickets for The Revivalists tour went on sale earlier this month. The highly anticipated tour is a celebration of their upcoming album Take Good Care, which will be out on Nov. 9 via Loma Vista Recordings. The 14-track LP is available for pre-order now, along with instant downloads of hit single “All My Friends” and “You and I.”
Click here to pre-order or pre-save the album and listen to “You & I.” Every purchase of Take Good Care concert tickets includes a digital download of the album. For all ticket details,visit the band’s website.
The Revivalists are considered to be, as USA Today states,“among the hardest-working bands.” Steadily gaining recognition for the past ten years, Take Good Care highlights the dynamic group in a bold, new, charismatic light. The track list reflects deeply personal songwriting; it is a reflection of the high-and-lows, of the kind of life that ten years of collaborative music making creates. Far from an “overnight success,” this very quality is what endears The Revivalists to dedicated fans and the music community as a whole.
The Revivalists performed the soulful hit single “All My Friends” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Oct. 18. Billboard reviewed the track stating that:
“[‘All My Friends’ is a] rollicking floor-stomper that digs into the raw core of the band’s rock and folk roots that flawlessly frays the ethereal sheen…”
Looking for a new genre of music? Try Funeral Pop, and the sounds of New York based duo MXMS who have recently released their new single “Gravedigger.” The self-produced duo from New York City and small-town Oklahoma have created their own genre, which fuses classic melodic songwriting with dark, unfiltered chaos, driven by a thousand forms of fear. Just in time for the holidays. They’ll perform in Hollywood, CA at underground nightclub Cloak & Dagger on October 30.
MXMS is short for “Me and My Shadow” and brings together singer Ariel Levitan and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Dawson. MXMS’ debut untitled album will be released on We Are:The Guard/Kobalt Records in early 2019.
With a crowd diverse in age and race, a lively audience came to the Swyer Theater at The Egg in Albany for a night of South African music that was engaging and inspired dancing in the crowd all throughout the evening. Celebrating the 100th birthday of global peacemaker Nelson Mandela and nearly 25 years of freedom from apartheid, Vusi Mahlasela paid tribute to South African music legends Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masakela, Dorothy Masuka and Brenda Fassie with ‘Township!’
South African music was hard to come by for the mid-late 20th century, due to the cultural boycott on the country due to apartheid, and at home, black South African music was banned from the radio, so American records were played at pubs. Known as “The Voice,” Mahlasela hails from Mamelodi Township, outside Pretoria and experienced this music embargo first hand, yet became an international legend starting in the late 1980s. Accompanied by Mongeze Ntaka on guitar, Jimmy Mgwandi on bass and Ian Herman on drums, Mahlasela took the audience on a tour of South Africa’s sights, sounds and languages through a variety of songs from the influential artists that came before him.
The night opened with the acoustic “Ubuhle” in the Hosa/Zulu dialect of South African – where there are 11 official languages – and was followed by a song about the beauty of the land, “Silang Magele” and “Jabula,” a song sung by a dove during harvest season. “Draaikies” by Dr. Phillip Tabane, was sung in a slang language of South Africa, combining elements of regional and European dialects. An untitled song referenced the pain of separation and was written on toilet paper while in jail. Here, Mahlasela spoke of Africa deserving better because Africa has been giving all along – through slavery, raw materials, and colonization, and still today through the neo-colonization seen by China.
“Our Sand” was dedicated to the San people, who were the first people to walk the earth, also known as Bushmen. The upbeat and joyful Township songs closed the performance, starting with “Jesu” and “Uncolo.” “Unomeva” was inspired by the speakeasies of South Africa and the characters and musicians that were found there. Finally, Mahlasela mentioned the concept of Ubuntu, the quality of human virtues, including humanity, compassion, tolerance, love, among others. “Say Africa” was sung with the audience enthusiastically serving as the chorus. An encore of “Woza” gave a swingtown vibe to the Township we were welcomed into this evening.
Setlist: Ubuhle, Silang Magele, Miyela Africa, Jabula, Amdokwe, Draaikies, When You Come Back, Untitled, Our Sand, Jesu, Uncolo, Unomeva, Say Africa
Having originally started as a funk-based instrumental group, Animal Sounds is debuting their record Ennui, that will soon define them as one of the indie powerhouse bands that call Western New York their home. The five-piece group released an all instrumental EP back in 2015 titled Fling Mingus which had well written guitar duos and harmonically vibrant compositions that didn’t get too complex, making for an easy and interesting listen. A couple years later, the band released a single titled “Ghost” which had lyrics- marking a change in the group’s direction. Composed of Erik Gordon (vocals), Shawn Brogan (guitar), Alex Brophy (guitar), Angel Figueroa (bass/keys), and Theo Schirmuhly (drums), Animal Sounds presents a versatile and eclectic sound that doesn’t veer far from their roots while also solidifying the band’s progression into a vocally driven sound with intriguing instrumentals. While this new release, Ennui, can take a very strong cue from the group’s main influences, there’s enough in this 8-track album to warrant a close look at how well the band is able to execute these sounds and create a product that oozes the stylings of some big-name alt rock/indie groups.
A major highlight of the album are the guitar performances. The clean lead duos are reminiscent of Minus the Bear, with both guitars playing melodic parts that mesh as one voice. This is apparent right from the get-go, with the second track “Hesitation” starting off with a conversation between the two guitars, one just slightly grittier than the other so as to differentiate the voices enough. Schirmuhly’s drums do a great job to accent both the bass and guitar lines. On the seventh song, “Wanderlust”, the hi-hat accentuates beats in a way that makes different parts of the guitar line pop out, while the bass drum syncs with the bass to achieve a really big lower end without the frequencies getting muddied in the mix. The bass overall keeps a steady groove in each song, never becoming too flashy but also not becoming redundant or droney. It leaves room for the guitars to shine and will even jump in on a well composed trio part like in “Antelope”.
The vocals are very strong from top to bottom. Gordon weaves his way through already melodically layered songs, finding open spots to color the music with his own melody. The lyrics seem to ride on one theme- a dissolution with the current state of one’s being and how growing into adulthood amplifies those feelings. It’s a darker lyrical focus, which matches the melancholy mood of the songs well. The harmonies are a big stand-out, with numerous vocal parts being layered to create atmospheric backdrops to mesh with the ethereal guitars. The group displays a lot of chemistry, and strong song structuring.
One thing that comes out a bit much are the sounds from the group’s influences. A few of the tracks instrumentally sound very similar to a Tame Impala song, sometimes Minus the Bear. Despite these parallels, the songs are well written and do a very good job of nailing down the timbres and subtleties those groups use in their music- an achievement regardless. Animal Sounds has a lot of chemistry, and it’d be interesting to hear a bit less of the influences and more of the unique sound the band can bring to the table. The group puts on a very strong live show too, covering tunes that are complete departures from their influences and making them their own. If you enjoy the album, get out to one of Animal Sound’s shows in the WNY area!
Key Tracks: Hesitation, Wanderlust, Kid Dankë Schon
“If you told my high school self that I’d be receiving an email from Natalie Merchant,” Paul Rudd quipped, “asking me to take the stage with Mary Stuart Masterson and introduce Antonio Delgado, I would’ve said, ‘What’s email?’.”
The event– Hudson Valley Votes– took place at UPAC on October 20 and featured prominent Hudson Valley residents. In addition to 10,000 Maniacs’ frontwoman Natalie Merchant, long-time David Bowie band member Gail Ann Dorsey, renowned songwriter Dar Williams, Lettuce collaborator Alecia Chakour, and Woodstock favorites Rachael Yamagata and Simi Stone participated in the musical portion of the evening.
Natalie Merchant, Gail Ann Dorsey and Resistance Revival Chorus
The show, organized to trump up support for local progressive politicians, began with a rendition of Woody Guthrie classic “This Land Is Your Land.” The itinerary progressed fluidly; after the Guthrie cover, children and teenagers from Kingston’s Energy Dance Company took the stage and invaded the aisles, putting on a high energy hip-hop dance performance that earned a standing ovation. The youth movement continued with a subsequent performance by members of Woodstock’s Rock Academy.
“We aim to turn New York blue through the activism of young people!” one of the event’s organizers exclaimed. It was reiterated throughout the evening that young voters would need to show up on November 6 in order for the progressives’ candidates to succeed. In addition to young people, women carried the night. Many of the featured candidates were females running in their first elections; most of them expressed displeasure with the unequal representation of women in Congress.
Merchant, the musical director, sang a moving rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” vocally accompanied by Dorsey and Yamagata, with Jack DeJohnette on the piano. Dorsey, who womanned the stage more than anyone, showed off her vocal versatility all night. She also collaborated with Williams, Chakour, and The Rock Academy.
Gail Ann Dorsey (left) and Dar Williams (right)
The musical highlight of the evening undoubtedly came, however, from the Resistance Revival Chorus. More than a dozen women, resplendently clad in white, put on a haunting acapella protest performance, singing about marching to take back Congress, the Supreme Court, the White House, and to take back power. They received a well-earned, deafening ovation from the exuberant audience.
Keynote speaker Antonio Delgado, who is challenging John Faso for a seat in the US House of Representatives, followed the Resistance Revival Chorus by continuing the tone of resistance. “We cannot solve problems,” Delgado claimed, “if we do not have civic discourse.” The charismatic politician joked about the difficulties of raising twin boys, spoke about challenges he faced growing up as a black boy in Schenectady, and vowed to supporters, “I will always be straight with you and I will always be accountable to you.”
Antonio Delgado, NY19th District Candidate
While the political sphere in the country seems to be growing increasingly partisan, musicians showed the beauty of collaboration Saturday night. The crowd was energetic and the atmosphere full of hope. The sold-out event appears to have been a success, although attendees and participants may be waiting until November 7 to make their final determination.
After The Disco Biscuits wrap up their two-night run at The Palace Theatre in Albany, head down to Parish Public House for an after-party featuring the debut of Scumdog Millionaire$. Born out of Funk Night in Albany, the inaugural affair will focus on exploring the sounds of wild improvisation amid heavy grooves.
Scumdog Millionaire$ features Rob Compa (Dopapod), Adrian Tramontano (Kung Fu), Beau Sasser (Kung Fu) and Justin Henricks (Wurliday). The show starts at 11:30pm and goes late – $10 cover at the door. More info can be found here.
The 2018 Pearlpalooza met a warmer-than-expected Saturday afternoon, bringing plenty of fantastic music to Pearl Street in Albany from both the local and national scenes to mark the last weekend of summer.
Kicking off the afternoon at 1pm was the winner of Jupiter Hall’s Battle of the Bands El Modernist with a small but engaged crowd of Pearlpalooza early birds. Following El Modernist was another Albany band who’s quickly gaining ground with their garage rock-pop sound, Good Fiction.
Moving on from one band in particular who caught the attention of many new listeners was Kitten, based out of the New York City area (with some strong Los Angeles roots from singer Chloe Chaidez). The Greeting Committee followed with an upbeat, light-hearted indie rock set before trading off to Vermont’s own Caroline Rose. Closing out the afternoon with a large gathering in front of The Hollow was London-based Superorganism, an electro-pop group made up of talent from around the world whose stage show had as much detail as the composition of their songs.
The Hollow was home to Connecticut’s own West End Blend on Friday, October 12. The jam-friendly funk group brought The Age to open and then put on a funk clinic for a packed room. Erica T. Bryan‘s soul flowed through the band as their jams crashed onto the dance floor again and again.
West End Blend has quickly worked their way up through the ranks to become one of the best live acts touring the northeast. You can catch them this weekend at Disc Jam Presents Holloween Horror Camp. And, if you can’t make it to one of their shows coming up, you really ought to pick up their new live album, Live at the Waterhole, because there’s nothing like listening to a jam band jam.
Having originally started as a funk-based instrumental group, 
