The Arc, a new 20,000 square foot concert hall and recording studio in the Kaufman Arts District in Long Island City, will open in early 2019 with former Webster Hall Executive Vice President Rich Pawelczyk named COO. The management team plans to bring strategic brand partnering and the world’s top talent and emerging artists to The Arc.
A 1931 vintage building, The Arc has a unique arched, wooden cathedral-like ceiling with Douglas Fir bowstring trusses that imbue the space with spectacular acoustics. Featuring both large and small performance spaces, along with a full 21st century recording studio and a total capacity of 2,000, The Arc will have a sound stage, full sound and video recording capabilities, and state-of-the-art acoustics that will rank among the finest in the world.
“I’m thrilled to join the team as the The Arc is taking shape as a world-class concert venue that can accommodate not just live performances with unsurpassed acoustics, but also with state-of-the-art digital recording and streaming technology that will enable us to create unique experiences for fans–and the brands that want to reach them—in New York City around the world,” said Rich Pawelczyk. “We’re already seeing a flood of initial interest among artists and sponsors because, with incredible design, location, and technology, The Arc is poised to fill a void in both the New York music scene and in the industry as a whole.”
The Arc will fill a void in the NYC music scene, featuring an arched antique wood wooden ceiling for unparalleled acoustics (see release below), two performance spaces, recording studio/sound stage, and 24 hr cafe. Grammy award-winning sound engineer Adam Abeshouse has joined the team and The Arc is expected to have some of the best acoustics anywhere in the world. Take a 360′ tour of The Arc
The venue is part of John Belitsky’s DMNDR network, a global community of artists, musicians and fans that user DMNDR to share their work. The venue will serve as DMNDR’s physical concert and recording venue.
The Arc is named for its mission to showcase musical talent at every stage in the arc of an artist’s career—from emerging talent to well-established artists. The Arc is a full city block-through of event space in Long Island City—New York’s fastest growing neighborhood only minutes from Midtown Manhattan—that will feature a state-of-the-art recording studio, media center for streaming live videos, a 24/hour café featuring cuisine of 600+ local food vendors, and spaces for local talent and community collaborations. Corporate branding partnerships are in development.
To date The Arc has held small, well-received performances and sessions including LoveHoney, Madison McFerrin, Jackie Venson, Jon Fratelli (of the Fratellis), Oxymorrons, Mosie, and many more. Current performances are by invitation only and occur weekly.
The Arc’s exceptional, world-class acoustics will establish the live performance hall as a destination for rehearsals, recordings and performances of a diverse range of musical talent. DMNDR will also seek designation for The Arc as an accredited sound stage for film and television production to further complement the thriving creative industries within the Kaufman Arts District.
Calliope Musicals are hitting the road for their Stray Cats Tour and their first two stops are in Rochester on July 25 and Syracuse on July 26 at Funk ‘n Waffles locations.
Photo courtesy of Calliope Musicals website.
Calliope Musicals has a pop-rockesque vibe and can captivate an audience. The band is from Austin, TX and is made up of six members. Carrie Fussell on lead vocals and guitar, Craig Finkelstein on vibraphone and vocals, Josh Bickley on drums and vocals, Andrew Vizzone on bass and vocals, Jerry Sparkman on confetti cat, and Joe Cannariato on lead guitar and vocals.
For their Rochester show, they are joined by special guest Stationary Escape Pod and the show starts at 8:00 p.m. and is an 18 and up show with a $7 cover.
For their Syracuse show, they are joined by special guest Pet Cheetah. The show starts at 9:00 p.m. and is also an 18 and up show with a cover of $5 in advance or $7 at the door. Tickets for both shows can be purchased in advance through TicketWeb.
The collective will also perform in New York City at Bowery Electric on July 27.
For more information on Calliope Musicals be sure to check out their website.
John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd. has been celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout 2018. Dates throughout Europe and Japan have dotted the band’s itinerary the early part of the year and now, beginning in October, the tour comes to North America.
The Public Image is Rotten tour kicks off in New Orleans on Oct. 9 and makes its way to Asbury Park and Brooklyn on Oct. 13 and 15. Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, July 13 at 10:00 a.m. local time. PiL is also touring in support of a documentary with the same title as the tour, which will see its theatrical premiere at the Metrograph in New York on Sept. 14.
The band is also set to release a career-spanning box set on July 20, titled The Public Image is Rotten (Songs From the Heart). The expansive box set will be available as five-CD/two-DVD, six-LP and in digital formats. It will include radio sessions, B-sides, remixes as well as the PiL Singles Collection (1978-2015). Also included is a complete live performance from New York’s Ritz from July 16, 1989.
The DVDs include PiL performances on the BBC shows Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops, two complete live shows from Estonia in 1988 and Sydney, Australia in 2013 and various promo and music videos.
For more 40th anniversary PiL info, visit the band’s official website here.
Public Image Ltd. 2018 Tour Dates:
Oct. 9 – The Civic Theatre – New Orleans, LA
Oct. 10 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
Oct. 12 – Black Cat – Washington, DC
Oct. 13 – Asbury Lanes – Asbury Park, NJ Oct. 15 – Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, NY
Oct. 16 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
Oct. 18 – Club Soda – Montreal, QC
Oct. 19 – Lee’s Palace – Toronto, ON
Oct. 21 – The Majestic – Detroit, MI
Oct. 22 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL
Oct. 24 – Granada Theatre – Dallas, TX
Oct. 25 – The Mohawk – Austin, TX
Oct. 28 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
Oct. 29 – Showbox – Seattle, WA
Oct. 31 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA
Nov. 1 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA
Nov. 3 – El Rey – Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 6 – Pepsi Centre – Mexico City, MX
Hochstein School of Music and Dance continues its tradition of afternoon concerts this summer. This summer’s lineup includes music by Watkins & The Rapiers, Hanna & The Blue Hearts, Mambo Kings, Hypnotic Clambake, Crooked North Duo, and Genesee Johnny.
The free performances are held at Granite Mills Park in the High Falls District at noon on Thursdays through August 16. Food is available to purchase from a variety of vendors. Visit the Hochstein School of Music and Dance website for more information.
2018 Hochstein at High Falls:
July 12 – Watkins & the Rapiers
July 19 – Hanna & the Blue Hearts
July 26 – Mambo Kings
August 2 – Hypnotic Clambake
August 9 – Crooked North Duo
August 16 – Genesee Johnny
Folkfaces started their Fried Chicken Dreams tour’s second leg on July 1. The tour will span over 14 states and two countries through July and August.
Photo courtesy of Press Release.
The Buffalo-based quartet specializes in “Rowdy Jazz & Bluesy Roots.” Folkfaces has an irresistibly danceable energy and a unique versatility, being able to engage a crowd. They are able to engage their audience no matter what from busking on the street, to playing in a small barroom, or putting on a full electric show at a large music venue. The band draws influence from a multitude of genres, including folk, jazz, blues, punk, Americana, jug band, and bluegrass.
Folkfaces Fried Chicken Dreams Tour includes 27 dates and will host series of special guests, including General B and the Whiz (Montreal, ON); Swimmer and Kendall Street Company (Burlington, VT); Jared Hamilton (Lexington, KY); The Ithaca Bottom Boys (Ithaca, NY).
For more information on Forkface visit their Website.
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival runs July 19 through July 22 and is located on the Walsh Farm in Oak Hill, New York. New this year is the addition of Billy Strings as the festival’s first Artist-in-Residence.
Billy Strings courtesy of the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival press release.
Grey Fox is a welcomed mix of Grammy, AMA, and IBMA award winners, long-time fan favorites, exciting rising stars, and unique collaborations. Grey Fox is known for presenting the genre’s top artists, producer Mary Tyler Doub feels it’s as important to bring exciting up-and-coming young bands. These bands are from around the country and come to the festival as part of it’s emerging artist showcase where discerning bluegrass fans get to hear them for the first time. Festival organizers have put together an extensive Spotify playlist of this year’s Grey Fox performers. Check that out here.
Billy Strings is known for being a blazing young singer and multi-instrumentalist. He has been building a huge fanbase with his bluegrass in overdrive whenever he appears. Not only will he be performing with his red hot band he will also be sitting in with various artists, hosting hot jams, and meeting fans all weekend. He’s listed by Rolling Stone as one of the top ten new country artists you need to know, and have dubbed him the “Bluegrass Prodigy.”
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival is known for its outstanding lineup, relaxed camping, friendly atmosphere, stellar jam sessions, flawless organization, and warm hospitality. It has six stages, hands-on workshops, demonstrations, beginner slow jams, dancing and dance lessons, tented and open-air venues, fresh ethnic and festive foods, top notch vendors, a very popular family stage, and a four-day Bluegrass Academy for Kids. Grey Fox is a haven for all ages from toddlers to teens; young singles and couples to older adults. Four-day passes (including camping) and day tickets are now on sale on their website.
For more information and updates as they happen, visit the Grey Fox website.
On July 6, 2018 the Trey Anastasio Trio (with Ray Paczkowski) made their 2018 New York debut at the Central Park Summerstage to a small gathering of fans that felt more like a friendly summer barbecue than a major concert in the middle of Manhattan. If Madison Square Garden is Phish’s house, then that makes Central Park Trey’s backyard, and the pre-show vibe in the park was reflective of that as the intimate vibe of the venue gave the feeling that people were visiting their old friend, Trey, for his annual Fourth of July bash. Originally billed as Trey Anastasio Trio show, the lineup was changed at the last minute to feature to the Classic TAB roster with the return of keyboardist Ray Paczkowski following the removal of a brain tumor earlier this year.
The show got started with an airy ‘Blaze On’ opener which featured a loose jam and more open space then Phish’s version of the song. The band took their time developing the groove, and established a light, summer vibe early on which they would carry with them throughout the first set. TAB’s ‘Cayman Review’ followed and kept the breezy vibe going as the crowd began to fill in and people began to loosen up. Paczkowski’s first solo of the night was received with a warm cheer from the crowd, who was clearly overjoyed with his presence that evening, as was the rest of the band based on the smiles exchanged on stage. The ‘Everything’s Right’ that followed featured Trey’s first taste of darkness of the evening as the band developed a spinning groove around his sludgy, building jam. The mysteriousness nature of the jam gave the feeling of early cave paintings; dark, yet stripped down art that draws the mind in and keeps it wondering.
‘Heavy Things’ brought back the summer vibe as the band delivered a standard, bouncing version of the song before the band started their second big extended jam of the first set, ‘Gotta Jibboo.’ The Jibboo featured a patient, yet playful jam which featured bassist Tony Markellis finding his way deep into the pocket as Trey and Ray went back and fourth on fills. They eventually built the solo to a relatively aggressive Jibboo peak before flawlessly synchronizing the ending of the jam to the final verse. The ‘Party Time’ that followed was high energy and appropriate, as the entire set felt like a big summer party. Following the song, Trey joked with the crowd stating that ‘Party Time’ was written by his favorite songwriter of all time, a man who also wrote the great ‘Ass Handed’, the one and only Jon Fishman.
‘Miss You’ came next and gave the band a chance to catch their breath as Trey delivered an incredibly passionate rendition of the song. The band did a great job of capturing the vibe of the song while Trey delivered a heartfelt solo, which had the crowd hanging on his every note. They brought the energy back up for the set closer, ‘Sand,’ as Trey had a mission to close the set out with a bang. The jam resembled fractals as Trey expanded outward on multiple ideas and drummer Russ Lawton laid down tribal beats. The rising energy of the song built the jam to the strongest peak of the first set just before smoothly slipping into the final refrain as if nothing happened when the band exited for set break.
While the first set was all about breezy summer vibes, the second set showed the band exploding through space. They returned to the stage with a strong rendition of ‘No Men In No Man’s Land’ to start the second set, which seemed like a much more stripped down version of the song as compared to Phish’s. The loose structure lead to a spacy jam featuring Trey messing around with his pedals to create a wormhole effect over the crowd. Paczkowski’s slippery solo alongside Trey’s spacy tone gave the song a buttery vibe, with just enough darkness mixed in to make you forget what they were playing. Once the band reached an appropriate peak, they kept the ambient vibe going with delay-heavy ‘Ghost.’ The ‘Ghost’ creeped along with all four members adding their own flavor, taking their time it as if they were providing ominous music for a midnight riverboat ride through the jungle. They eventually built the energy up to a high point, and ended the song on a strong, guitar-oriented peak.
The ‘Camel Walk’ that followed may have been the biggest surprise of the evening, as Trey reworked the song to make it more upbeat and funky than Phish’s version. Trey was clearly having fun throughout the entire song as he delivered playful fills, an increased tempo, and a swinging jam. Played with the energy of a 1992 ‘Poor Heart,’ Trey showed us that his fingers are still just as nimble than ever. They brought the set back into the shadows with a rendition of ‘Dark and Down’ that can only be described as euphoric. As the band peaked on a delicate, soaring jam, the sun dropped perfectly between two buildings to the west of the park. It felt like Trey was waiting to play the song until he was ready to bid the day goodbye, and the cotton candy sky above the trees in the park was exactly what he was waiting for.
Continuing with the spacy theme of the set, they dropped into the fun-loving ‘Soul Planet’ once the night settled in. The crowd truly was “spinning through space” as Trey played around with his pedals to create a funky, spaced out energy that breathed positivity. The song reached a lively peak with Trey shooting laser beams around the park, before dropping back into the darkness with a very strong ‘Steam.’ Like other songs this evening, TAB left much more open space in the song structure of ‘Steam’ which gave the song a very different feel than that of a Phish show. While Trey did show off a bit with his fills, the verses were more interesting not for the notes that were played, but for those that weren’t. They eventually built the jam into an almost disturbing, alien spaceship peak with the crowd hanging on for their lives as they cannonballed through an asteroid field of light and sound before coming together for a clean ending of the song, which acted as the band’s final visit to deep space.
The ‘Undermind’ that followed brought funky energy back up, and the fun-loving, breezy jam was reminiscent of the first set. The final, and arguably strongest, peak of the second set came in it’s closer, ‘Push On ‘Til The Day.’ The dark funk kept the crowd enticed, as Trey played like a madman ripping through the final solo. There were multiple times where the band could have finished, and everyone would have been happy, but the band was obviously having the times of their lives and had no plans to stop as they built an almost uncomfortable amount of tension out of the jam. The euphoric release of the jam had the crowd yelling for more as they band took their bows and exited the stage.
Trey came out by himself for the first part of the encore, as he worked through beautiful renditions of ‘Waste,’ ‘Strange Design,’ and ‘More.’ The crowd was absolutely silent and respectful for Trey’s playing, to the point that you could hear lightning bugs zip by your ears in between notes. The ‘Waste’ was particularly magical as you could hear Trey’s voice get raspy while he teared up singing it. The crowd sang along quietly enough to hear Trey, but loud enough for the park to hum its melody. After ‘Waste’ he told a story of how he could see the building where he took his first guitar lessons and thanked his parents for the opportunity to make his dreams come true. It was truly an intimate moment between Trey and the crowd, one that anyone in attendance will not soon forget.
Following the trio of acoustic songs, the rest of the band came back out to properly close out the night in the park. They shuffled through a sludgy ‘Alaska’ with Trey creating muddy effect with his pedals before closing out the night with the TAB classic ‘First Tube.’ The blissful instrumental featured a high energy solo and gorgeous peak which left the crowd wanting more. Overall you couldn’t ask for a more perfect evening in the park, and with how rehearsed and confident Trey seemed, there is much to look forward to for the rest of the summer.
Trey Anastasio Trio 7/6/2018 Setlist via Phish.net:
Set 1: Blaze On, Cayman Review, Everything’s Right, Heavy Things, Gotta Jibboo, Party Time, Miss You, Sand
Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land, Ghost, Camel Walk, Dark and Down, Soul Planet, Steam, Undermind, Push On ‘Til the Day
Encore: Waste [1], Strange Design[1], More[1], Alaska, First Tube
Southern rockers Drive By Truckers took a free night amid their Summer tour with Tedeschi Trucks Band and The Wheels of Soul tour to play a rocking show in Woodstock, NY. The Colony, a beautifully restored building in the heart of Woodstock, hosted a full house of excited fans, braving the heat, to hear the five piece group play some of their time-tested favorites along with some new songs that will appear on their next album.
Facing these turbulent times the only way they know how, The Drive By Truckers tackle today’s issues with straight forward and honest lyrics. Showing that they’re in the same boat as many of us, trying to make sense of a world that is making less and less sense.
Southern rock and roll rose up in Saratoga Springs at SPAC on July 3rd, with special guests led by Greenville, South Carolina’s Marcus King Band, Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s Drive-By Truckers and Jacksonville, Florida’s Tedeschi Trucks Band. If that lineup of musicians doesn’t conjure images of extended soulful guitar solos and rock n roll in the vein of The Allman Brothers Band, you may need to eat a peach. Over three hours of combined music, these three bands combined for one of the most rockin’ shows this year, and a treat for anyone able to see the Wheels of Soul tour and is treks across New York State and the country this month, headed west for a two-night run at Red Rocks in Colorado.
Opening with “Tell the Truth,” TTB’s love for Clapton shone on both ends of the set, with “Key to the Highway” appearing later in the set. “Don’t Know What it Means” with its blaring horn intro and Tedeschi’s pipes never fails to get bodies moving, and a giant sax bridge from Kebbi Williams segued perfectly into “The Letter.” A smooth jam in “Little Martha/Midnight in Harlem” preceded covers of Dylan’s “Down in the Flood,” and the Stevie Wonder written/The Band performed “Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever,” then punctuated by “I Want More,” an original that crescendoed like a rock orchestra, ending with thunderous drums from the duo of J.J. Johnson and Tyler Greenwell.
The earlier performers of the evening were welcomed to the stage eagerly by both band and audience. Drive by Trucker’s Patterson Hood joined in on “Let me roll with it,” a sing along featuring double driving guitar via Hood and Trucks. Marcus King joined on guitar and vocals for Clapton/B.B. King’s “Key to the Highway” where Mike Mattison showed monster presence with his powerful vocals. To close the night, the band welcomed Eric Krasno of Lettuce and Soulive fame and Tash Neal from London Souls for an enthusiastic “Statesboro Blues.”
There is as mantle for the wider Allman Brothers Band family, including Gov’t Mule, Les Brers, Great Southern, Derek Trucks Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and many more yet to come. To see any is to experience the full southern rock band sound, the real deal, every time.
Setlist (via setlist.fm): Tell the Truth, Part of Me, Don’t Know What It Means, The Letter, Little Martha/Midnight in Harlem, Down in the Flood, Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever, I Want More, Let Me Roll It*, Laugh About It, Key to the Highway^, Shame, Bound for Glory Encore: Statesboro Blues+
* w/ Patterson Hood
^ w/ Marcus King
+ w/ Eric Krasno, Tash Neal (London Souls)
The first ‘Bite’ sinks raw into your gums, perking your ears with sound. Harsh Armadillo and their latest four-track EP release is uninviting to the easy-listener. Regardless, you delve in for seconds and it becomes clear- there is no turning back. It’s “quick, punchy and powerful,” said vocalist Andrea Belaidi.
Bite hooks your lip and reels you deep into the 24-minute storyline of Harsh Armadillo on the rise.
Since their inception in 2013, the New Hampshire based ensemble is out for blood. Harsh Armadillo debuted their first full-length album Thayer It Is in 2014 and quickly began to draw crowds of 700 or more. Harsh Armadillo was named New England Music Awards’ Best Band in NH (2017) and has shared the stage with bands like The Nth Power, Kung Fu, Twiddle, After Funk and Kat Wright.
The seven-piece is equipped with keyboards, synth and organs, saxophone, trumpet, guitars and drums making their soundscape endless. R&B, funk and soul roots create a whirlwind of driving dance grooves that are paired with slow feel-good vocals and melodic leads throughout the EP.
Bite was recorded at Iron Wax Studio in Erving, MA with Alan Evans of Soulive. “Working in Alan’s studio was like getting catapulted through a black hole and emerging with no pants or conception of time,” siad Max Harris (saxophone, vocals). Harsh Armadillo looks up to artists like Evans which made the four day recording endeavor energetic and natural for the band. “It was just wild seeing how Alan did his thing,” said bassist Thomas Forbes.
“The EP all works together in sequence. These songs are comprised of bits and pieces that make it different,” said Max. The band recorded the album together – all in one room, whereas it is typical for bands to record each part layered independently. “The intention was for it to be a cohesive unit. There’s something about proximity,” that makes it all flow, said Max. “We learned that it was okay to have bleed into the drum parts.”
“Gravy” starts the EP off smooth, building in volume, before the drums and horns crash in unison. The groove is sharp and interrupts with syncopated off-the-beat phrases. Male and female vocals, funky guitar licks and changing drum and bass grooves drag your head from left to right with your feet. The feel livens up in the bridge with syncopated snare, contrasting horn pads and rolling bass fills. Soon you timehop, fired-up for the hot saxophone solo in “Two Wishes and a Truth.” When playing these songs “we want someone like ‘Sput’ from Ghost Note (one of our idols) to turn around and say: What was that?,”added Forbes.
The new songs are all about pushing the envelope. Spoken-word rap in “Animal” contrasted by Dmitrys’ synth leads expand your mind. When the band digs through the bridge they become unstoppable, in full break dancing force. Songs like “Live Action” are amped up and refreshing from the laid back push-and-pull of the rhythm section. It drives hard, so you better hang on.
Guitarist Camden Riley felt that the EP is “one tiny seed planted; It is a landmark of how we are as a unit [at this moment in time].” According to the band’s press release, “The EP is about biting hard into life and being the most unapologetic version of yourself possible. A lot of the songs have this swaggy feel that everyone’s frothing over these days. I think Questlove calls it drunk drums. Either way it’s an addiction. It takes a team to get this feel.”
Harsh Armadillo is cueing up for the second EP release of the series within the next few weeks. Evolving with the changing times of the music industry Max Harris felt “You can’t put an album out every two years and still be relevant.” Harsh Armadillo’s second release “Blame Bad Habits” was exactly that – two years in the making, which became boring by the time it was ready to drop. Thus, the ensemble is ‘keeping it loose’ as they move forward not only as a band, but moreover as a tight-knit collaboration of friends.
For those wondering about the ‘moldy basement’ – it’s Dmitrys’, the bands keyboard player. “It [actually] is moldy,” added Dan [the band laughs]. To this day, Harsh Armadillo continues to practice in the same stinky rehearsal space where they were founded. “That’s where the fun comes in.” It allows Harsh Armadillo to sound raw, capturing a live feel effortlessly on Bite. “An idea sparks the song…and then we start arguing in the most exciting sense of the word. The idea is growth – to push the bar one-hundred percent.”
“Stay Harsh, Dan.”
Key Tracks:
“Gravy” is one thick serving of horns, backed by ‘2’ and ‘4’ on the snare. It cuts right to the groove and sucks you into the song. Tight melodic hits occur when you least expect it and the drums continue to push and pull you in time. Andrea’s smooth vocals, add the right amount of soul, half way through the track.
The EP would not be complete without “Live Action.” As their press release describes, “It tracks the speed of the missile and shoots just enough in front of it to hit it.” With lightning speed it is too energetic to soak up the funk from each instrument. Guitars take the spotlight early on with hot, up-beat rhythm and a blazing guitar solo within the first minute of listening. It is ever-changing. “Live Action,” is all Harsh’s best ideas morphed into one; from funk to a jam band with heavy synth-lead, to soulful vocals and back around again.
