American neo-jazz band Squirrel Nut Zippers has announced that they will be going on tour in 2020 for “The Inevitable 25th Anniversary Shows.” The entire The Inevitable album will be performed along with a series of hits and misses.
The Squirrel Nut Zippers will also begin their third annual Holiday Caravan tour on Dec. 5 in Plattsburgh at the Strand Center Theatre. Â Prior to the anniversary shows 2020 they will tour with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band making stops in New York City on March 6 at Symphony Space and Tilles PAC in Brookvale on March 7.
Band leader Jimbo Mathus had this to say about the upcoming dates: âI got a call this summer from our lawyer Shorty Brown who informed me that in the original contract we signed with Mammoth Records we were contractually obligated to do a 25th anniversary tour for our debut album The Inevitable. That just goes to show you kiddos, always read the fine print.â
Tickets for all shows are on sale now and can be purchased here.
LOCKN’ returns for its eighth year at Infinity Downs and Oak Ridge Farm in Arrington, VA on June 19-21, a shift from it’s usual dates in late August. This year’s festival will be extra special as LOCKN’ has put together a star-studded celebration of Phil Lesh’s 80th birthday. Lesh is best known as a founding member and bass player for the Grateful Dead.
“I am honored that Peter and the LOCKN’ family are throwing me the most special kind of birthday bash this year!” says Lesh. “It’s perfect because I’ve had so much fun there over the years — not just playing, but also getting to hang out and spend time with good friends and collaborators, some of whom I have just met and others whom I have been playing with since this all began. We are going to have a lot of fun.”
Lesh at 2016’s LOCKN’
Festival co-founder Peter Shapiro stated, “We’re going to celebrate Phil’s 80th the LOCKN’ way.” He continued, “He means so much to all of us, and we really are determined to give him the best party he’s ever had. We want to celebrate the man and his music in the best way possible. No better way than on our farm in that setting.”
LOCKN’ 2020 has pulled out all the stops for the celebration. Attendees will be able to experience for the first time ever at the three-day event the option of adding the Thursday before. Dubbed as “Steal Your Thursday” attendees can start the party early with a “Jerry Dance Party” on June 18. Expect a psychedelic audio/visual experience that celebrates the music of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. If that is not enough LOCKN’ for you, there is an option to come on Wednesday that gives you early access to the farm.
LOCKN’ LUMNI tickets will be available beginning Friday, Nov. 8 at 8:08 a.m. For complete ticket information and much more, please visit the LOCKN’ website here.
Members of the Empire State Youth Orchestra shut down the house with a robust symphony performance of four classical pieces at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Saturday night. As the musicians took to the stage, excitement rose in the room as everyone got ready to celebrate ESYO’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. The crowded room had a diverse audience of young and old, supporting family members and fans of classical music alike. Renowned for its amazing acoustics, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall served as a perfect venue.
With as much animation as the small box on which he stood would allow, conductor Carlos Agreda drew exactly what was needed out of the 100 Capital Region middle and high school students sitting on stage.
Opening the concert was Dmitri Shostakovich’s ‘Festive Overture OP.96.’ This celebrative piece, while the shortest of the night, was the perfect set up for what was to come. ESYO Alumni Kenneth Olsen took the stage to perform the solo of the four movement ‘Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra’ by Edward Elgar. Hailing from the Albany area and a graduate of Colonie High School, Olsen feverishly tore through the piece all from memory which brought the crowd to their feet in applause.
After a brief intermission the audience returned to their seats for the final two pieces. First up was the wildly popular Overture to ‘Die Fledermaus’ by Johann Strauss Jr., bringing another witty and playful piece to the set before the musicians settled in for their most complex piece of the night. The grandeur sounds of composer Ottorino Respighi filled the venue as the students undertook the ‘Pines of Rome’ with near perfection. Through four movements, using various melodies and rhythms including a recording of a nightingale, the audience was transported to another time and place.
Agreda asked at the beginning of the concert, “Why ESYO? Why should one support the arts?” The smiling faces and teary eyes from nearly every person in the room was answer enough. ESYO provides students a chance at pursuing musical excellence and reminding us all that music speaks where words fail.
Be sure to check
out ESYO’s website for the upcoming 2019-2020
season including their annual Melodies of Christmas at Proctors Theatre in
Schenectady.
ESYO
Upcoming Concert Dates
Nov. 24 – TBA
Dec. 6 – Fransworth
Middle School – Guilderland, NY
Dec. 15 – Massry
Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
Dec. 19-22 –
Proctors Theatre – Schenectady, NY (Melodies of Christmas)
Feb. 1 – Crossgates
Mall – Albany, NY
Feb. 12 – Clayton
B. Bouton High School – Voorheesville, NY
Feb. 13 – TBA
Feb. 27 – Massry
Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
Mar. 9 – UAlbany
Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY
Mar. 29 – UAlbany
Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY
Apr. 1 – Proctor’s Theatre
– Schenectady, NY
Apr. 26 – Troy
Savings Bank Music Hall
May 1 – TBA
May 2 – Arthur
Zankel Music Center, Skidmore College – Saratoga Springs, NY
May 3 – Brown
School – Schenectady, NY
May 10 – Massry
Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
May 17 – Massry
Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
May 31 – Saratoga
Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY
June 20 – GE
Theatre at Proctors – Schenectady, NY
Pop – punk group Sleeping With Sirens will set off on a 21 stop North American tour in 2020 to celebrate the release of their new album “How It Feels To Be Lost.” Joining “The Medicine Tour” starting in Lincoln, Nebraska on Jan. 8 will be alternative rockers Set It Off,Belmontand Point North. Along the way, they will make a stop at Upstate Concert Hall near Albany on Febr. 4 before ending the tour a few days later in their current residence of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
How It Feels To Be Lost is Sleeping With Sirens’ fifth full-length studio album since emerging onto the scene in 2010. Returning to a post-hardcore sound, the record features tracks like “Leave It All Behind,” “Break Me Down,” and “Agree To Disagree,” as well as the track appropriately titled “Medicine (Devil in My Head).” Recorded at the MDDN Studios in Los Angeles, the album was produced by Zakk Cervini and Matt Good.
The group’s daring ability to push the envelope in rock has pumped out music infused with different genres from pop, acoustic and some R&B. A loyal fan base known as “Strays” has helped them reach over 1.5 million in record sales, millions of streams and three gold singles. Tickets for “The Medicine Tour” go on sale Friday, Nov. 8, at the group’s website.
Sleeping With Sirens, Set It Off, Belmont + Point North 2020 Tour Dates
Jan. 8 – Bourbon Theatre – Lincoln, NB Jan. 10 – The Forge – Chicago, IL Jan. 11 – Skyway Theatre – Minneapolis, MN Jan. 12 – Granada Theatre – Lawrence, KS Jan. 14 – Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO Jan. 15 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT Jan. 17 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV Jan. 18 – Regency – San Francisco, CA Jan. 20 – Encore – Tucson, AZ Jan. 22 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX Jan. 23 – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX Jan. 25 – The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA Jan. 26 – The Cowan – Nashville, TN Jan. 28 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA Jan. 30 – Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
Jan. 31 – Soundstage – Baltimore, MD Feb. 1 – Palladium – Worcester, MA Feb. 4 – Upstate Concert Hall – Albany, NY Feb. 5 – Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, Ontario Feb. 7 – The Crofoot – Detroit,MI Feb. 8 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
In celebration of the 10 year anniversary since the band’s debut EP A Balloon Called Moaning, Welsh alternative rock group The Joy Formidable have announced ‘The Ten Years Floating Tour’ in North America for the upcoming winter. This comes just after the end of a fall acoustic tour with Devotchka, a four-piece instrumental and vocal ensemble from Denver, CO.
During the tour, the band will make three stops in New York. First performing back to back nights Dec. 5 and 6 at the Rough Trade in Brooklyn. They will then make their way to Albany for a show at The Hollow on Dec. 7.
Additionally, The Joy Formidable has released a special double album edition of their debut album. In keeping with the band’s desire to pay homage to their Welsh heritage, they will also release an acoustic Welsh language version called ‘Y Falwn Drom’. Already available through Hassle Records, there will be a double CD and double colored vinyl. It is a limited edition with only 1000 copies and can be purchased here. Featuring the single “Whirring,” A Balloon Called Moaning was originally written and recorded in a bedroom by Ritzy Bryan (lead singer and guitarist) and Rhydian Davies (vocalist and bass) over 10 years ago in North Wales.
On the new release, Ritzy explains; “We’ve been through such a lot as a band over the years, it’s been a really reflective studio session, returning to the old recordings and transforming them into these beautiful stripped back, intimate versions. It’s exciting hearing them in the Welsh language because now they have new life too and can be a celebration of language as well as memory.”
The Joy Formidable – Tour Dates Nov. 29 – Rock & Roll Hotel – Washington, DC Nov. 30 & Dec.1 – Boot & Saddle – Philadelphia, PA Dec. 3 – Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA Dec. 5 & 6 – Rough Trade – Brooklyn, NY Dec. 7 – The Hollow – Albany, NY Dec. 10 – Velvet Underground – Toronto, ON Dec. 12 – Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL Dec. 13 – Colectivo – Milwaukee, WI Dec. 14 – Fine Line Music Cafe – Minneapolis, MN Dec. 17 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA Dec. 18 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR Dec. 20 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA Dec. 21 – The Teragram – Los Angeles, CA
The ‘Roy Orbison & Buddy Holly: The Rock ‘N’ Roll Dream Tour’ will be coming to New York in November. This once in a lifetime tour began in September and has made several stops along the way throughout North America. Now fans from New York will have a turn to see this duo in concert. First up will be at The Egg in Albany on Nov. 15 before moving to Rochester’s Auditorium Theatre on Nov. 17.
Developed and produced by BASE Hologram, the audience will be treated to a high tech holographic performance with the accompaniment of a live band and back-up singers, all coming together to bring to life many of Orbison and Holly’s best hits. Eric Shaeffer (Million Dollar Quartet) will return as the director. In 2018 Shaeffer led the extremely successful ‘In Dreams: Roy Orbison in Concert’ tour across the world breaking many records.
“When you look at the architects of the Rock and Roll era, the names that come to mind are Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly,” said Brian Becker, Chairman and CEO of BASE Hologram, the leading content developer, producer and distributor of concerts, theatricals and spectacles that combine holographic cinema and mixed reality with live entertainment. “Both of these men weren’t just gifted musicians, but skillful innovators who helped influence others in game-changing ways.”
“These men weren’t just one thing – they were artists in every sense of the word,” said BASE Hologram CEO of Production Marty Tudor. “Like Roy, Buddy has a truly impressive songbook and in many cases, audiences may not have realized he was the one behind so many hits. Part of the beauty of these productions is we get to share the legacy of these performers and remind people of the full range of their talent.”
Despite several jam and recording sessions, these two rock and roll trailblazers have never toured together. Combined they have earned 16 platinum and 19 gold records, dozens of hits and 10 GRAMMY Awards combined. Being of a different era has not stopped these two from having three million Facebook followers and five million streams monthly on Spotify. To this day their musical capabilities captivate millions.
Information is available here for the tour that continues throughout the month of November.
North America Tour Dates
Nov.1 – Au-Rene at Broward Center – Fort Lauderdale, FL Nov.2 – Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts – Melbourne, FL Nov.3 – Ruth Eckerd Hall – Clearwater, FL Nov.4 – Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall – Sarasota, FL Nov.6 – Florida Theatre – Jacksonville, FL Nov.8 – Atlanta Symphony Hall – Atlanta, GA Nov.9 – Memorial Auditorium – Raleigh, NC Nov.10 – Scottish Rite Auditorium – Collingswood, NJ Nov.12 – State Theatre – New Brunswick, NJ Nov.13 – AMP by Strathmore – North Bethesda, MD Nov.15 – The Egg – Albany, NY Nov.16 – Boch Center Shubert Theatre – Boston, MA Nov.17 – Auditorium Theatre – Rochester, NY Nov.19 – FirstOntario Concert Hall – Hamilton, ON Nov.20 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON
SweetWater 420 Fest 2020 has announced that Oysterhead – the supergroup of Anastasio, Primus bassist Les Claypool and Police drummer Stewart Copeland – will be headlining the festival along with the Trey Anastasio Band.
Also part of the initial lineup are Gary Clark Jr., Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Lake Street Dive, The Floozies, Dr. Dog, The Marcus King Band, Larkin Poe, Delta Rae and Funk You. Thirty more artists will round out the diverse lineup set to be fully announced in January. The annual festival will take place April 24-26 once again on three stages in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA.
Not only does the festival bring to the community local breweries and artists but also plans on maintaining its focus on the environment with priority put on waste diversion and compost creation. In the past the event has recycled more than 240,000 pounds keeping it from landfills and created 60,000 pounds of compost. There will also be the return of the 4:19 Got a Minute to Give charity auction which has seen a lot of artist involvement in the past.
SweetWater 420 Fest also hosts a 5k that is a USATF Certified race and is a Peachtree Qualifier. The 2020 race is set for April 25. Runners can purchase combo tickets. Early bird tickets are on sale via Eventbrite now.
After 32 years Childsplay, comprised with some of the world’s best fiddle players, announced they would be going on tour for the last time. The short six-stop-tour across the Northeast starts in November and will include a performance at Symphony Space in New York City on November 22. Once again, famous fiddler and fiddle maker, Bob Childs, will lead this group as their time together comes to a close. Other members of the group range include Irish and Scottish fiddle champions to performers from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
It is hard to believe from that first show in 1986 that this day would come, but we have arrived at the final tour of the band. We’ve performed throughout the United States and Europe showcasing different styles of fiddle music. Through all of this, we have experienced so much pleasure and joy performing in front of some of the greatest audiences. This last tour gives us one more chance to savor and enjoy the magic that happens between our audience and the band.
Bob Childs, Childsplay Frontman
Special guests Sheila Falls, National Scottish Fiddle champions Hanneke Cassel and Katie McNally, Boston Symphony Violinist Bonnie Bewick and the talented Virginia fiddler Steve Hickman will be joining the group as they play music selected from their seven albums. Along with exceptional fiddle playing, one can expect original dances by by Molly Gawler, formerly of Pilobolus, Kevin Doyle contributing step-dancing routines. Irish folk singer Karan Casey will also be on the tour, all contributing to what will a series of extra special concerts.
The group formed over 30 years ago with only one common
denominator, they all played instruments made by Childs. Thus Childsplay was
formed. A majority of the music that Childsplay performs is written and
arranged by the group with the intention to cover as many fiddle traditions as
possible, from Irish to Celtic to the classics and more modern sounds.
Multi-platinum recording artist Kip Winger has announced a live and unplugged show on Nov. 1 at the Rome Capitol Arts Complex in Rome, NY. The show will be opened by indie-pop singer/songwriter Emma Jude. Hailing from Upstate New York, Jude’s crisp vocals and striking storytelling landed her the 2019 SAMMY award (Syracuse Area Music Award) for Best Pop Album.
Kip Winger first gained popularity when he contributed bass and vocals to Alice Cooper before forming the band Winger which recorded several successful albums in the late 1980s. The band disbanded in 1995 only to reunite in 2001. They immediately began to win fans back with non-stop touring and in 2014 released their highly anticipated sixth studio album called Better Days Comin.
Called “one of the best writers of the past three decades” by Classic Rock Magazine, the live and unplugged show in Rome will showcase Kip Winger as a solo artist. During the band’s break, Kip focused on expanding his own talents in a unconstructed way, composing and arranging music that didn’t fit any genre. “It was incredibly freeing to connect to music without any preconceived ideas about what it needed to be or what niche it needed to fill.” Exploring his talents led to hit compositions like “This Conversation seems like a Dream,” “Songs from the Ocean Floor,” “From the Moon to the Sun” and “Ghosts,” which featured a string orchestra. piano and harp.
To keep the concert up close and personal, setting is limited and RESERVED. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Bandstand will roll out a coast to coast tour starting October 25 in Oklahoma City, OK. This tour comes after this smash- hit spent 2017 on Broadway. During the residency it was nominated for three Tony Awards and snagged the Tony for Best Choreography.
“THE SHOW DEFIES YOU NOT TO BE MOVED”
Time Out New York
The vibrant musical, Bandstand, shows how one can heal through music and dance, written by Robert Taylor (book and lyrics), Richard Oberacker (music) and directed by three-time Tony winner Andy Blankkenbuelher (Hamilton choreography). The plot features World War II veteran Donny, fresh from the front lines, as he returns home to be a songwriter. When this proves difficult, he forms a group to compete in the NBC bandstand contest. Using a peppy outlook and upbeat music, Bandstand delves into the challenges faced by our service men and women upon returning. This is a story that stretches across many decades.
Photo by Michael Pool
Along the way Bandstand will make stops in various New York cities. Included is The Stanley Theater in Utica, Proctors in Schenectady and the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Greenvale. Tickets are on sale now through the musicals website. Check out the additional tour dates below.
BandStand Tour Dates: 2019-2020
Oct.25-26 – OCCC Visual and Performing
Arts Center Theater – Oklahoma City, OK
Oct.29-30 – Rudder Auditorium – College Station, TX
Nov.1 – Popejoy Hall – Albuquerque, NM
Nov.2-3 – Civic Center Auditorium –
Amarillo, TX
Nov.4 – Bicknell Center for the Arts –
Pittsburg, KS
Nov.5 – Chapman Music Hall – Tulsa, OK
Nov.6 – Abilene Convention Center –
Abilene, TX
Nov.7 – Cowan Center – Tyler, TX
Nov.8 – Lutcher Theater – Orange, TX
Nov.9 – The Grand 1894 Opera House –
Galveston, TX
Nov.11-12 – Washington Pavilion – Sioux
Falls, SD
Nov.13 – Civic Center – Bismarck, ND
Nov.16-17 – Hult Center for the
Performing Arts – Eugene, OR
Nov.19-20 – Granada Theater – Santa
Barbara, CA
Nov.21-24 – Fred Kavli Theatre –
Thousand Oaks, CA
Dec.3-4 – Pikes Peak Center – Colorado
Springs, CO
Dec.6-8 – Orpheum Theatre – Phoenix, AZ
Dec.11 – Orpheum Theatre – Sioux City,
IA
Dec.12 – Juanita K. Hammons Hall –
Springfield, MO
Dec.13-14 – Civic Center – Des Moines,
IA
Dec.15 – Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing
Arts Center – Cedar Falls, IA
Dec.16 – River Center Adler Theater –
Davenport, IA
Dec.17 – Yardley Hall – Overland Park,
KS
Jan.3-5 – Von Braun Center Concert Hall
– Huntsville, AL
Jan.7 – Paramount Arts Center – Ashland,
KY
Jan.8 – Honeywell Center – Wabash, IN
Jan.9-12 – Stranahan Theater – Toledo,
OH
Jan.14-16 – Century II Performing Arts
Center – Wichita, KS
Jan.17-19- Lied Center for Performing
Arts – Lincoln, NE
Jan.21 – Grand Theater – Wausau, WI
Jan.22 – Bloomington Center for the
Performing Arts – Bloomington, IL
Jan.23 – Niswonger Performing Arts Center
– Van Wert, OH
Jan.24-26 – Morris Performing Arts
Center – South Bend, IN
Jan.27 – Emens Auditorium – Muncie, IN
Jan.29 – Givens Performing Arts Center –
Pembroke, NC
Jan.30 – Clayton Center for the Arts –
Maryville, TN
Jan.31 – Charleston Gaillard Center –
Charleston, SC
Feb.1-2 – Oxford Performing Arts Center
– Oxford, AL
Feb.4-5 – Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
– Sarasota, FL
Feb.6 – Alan Jay Wildstein Center for
the Performing Arts – Avon Park, FL
Feb.7-8 – The Sharon L. Morse Performing
Arts Center – The Villages, FL
Feb.9 – Mainstage Theater – Niceville,
FL
Feb.10 – Lafon Performing Arts Center –
Luling, LA
