The City of Utica has been awarded a Levitt AMP concert series for the fourth consecutive year. The ten week free concert series will take place in Kopernik Park in Oneida Square on Monday nights beginning June 24 and continuing through Aug. 26.
The Levitt Foundation awards matching $25,000 grants to non-profits in select small to mid-size cities across the U.S. each year, creating a network of live music in underused spaces across the country. Eighteen cities have been selected to host the Levitt AMP series. This year, the Community Foundation provided a $25,000 match to help fund the series in Utica.
This year’s Utica Monday Night shows include a wide range of artists; from young Hendrix-influenced guitar phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer to the Grammy winning Rebirth Brass Band from New Orleans. Other artists include Paa Kow, a native of Ghana who combines the rhythms of West Africa with jazz to provide listeners a unique percussive sound, and La Misa Negra, a seven piece Afro-Latin collective from Oakland, CA that incorporates elements of hip-hop, metal, Caribbean and African poly rhythms.
Brandon “Taz” Niederauer
Each show will feature a local opening artist beginning at 6 p.m. See the complete schedule below. For more information about the artists performing, visit the Levitt AMP Utica website here.
Update (2:52pm): Michael Lang sent out an email with the following statement:
Dear Woodstock Friends It seems in a way that history is repeating itself. In July of 1969 we lost our site in Walkill and with only a month to go we managed to move to Bethel. Woodstock was going to happen no matter what!
This time around, Woodstock’s new hometown, Dix & Watkins Glen, NY and New York State have been really wonderful. I went door to door to talk to the neighbors. Some remembered Summer Jam back in ’73 and were worried about history repeating itself. But they opened their doors to us and we talked it out. Many of those people have reached out over the last 24 hours with messages of hope and encouragement. The venue, Watkins Glen International, have been totally supportive and professional.
Yesterday, our financial partner, Dentsu-Aegis, made the decision to pull out and informed us that they were cancelling the festival at the same time they let the press release go public.
We have yet to understand why they would try to prevent the festival from happening by seemingly undermining us in this way. It is one thing to decide for oneself that it is best to move on, but it is entirely another thing to try and close the door on us.
Yesterday, I couldn’t help but relive that moment 50 years ago – it was “ déjà vu all over again”!
Supporting the principles of activism and sustainability are too important to be derailed by shortsighted partners.
We continue our work with NYS, Schuyler County and various parties to keep things on track.
Woodstock never belonged to Dentsu, so they don’t have a right to cancel it.
Woodstock belongs to the people and it always will.
We don’t give up and Woodstock 50 will take place and will be a blast! Thanks for Listening, Michael
Michael Lang, via email
Woodstock 50 promoter Michael Lang responded to reports of his festival’s demise in a Facebook post late Monday, exclaiming, “Although our financial partner is withdrawing, we will of course be continuing with the planning of the festival and intend to bring on new partners.”
The loss of Dentsu Aegis Network‘s funding of the festival comes at a time when Lang has confirmed artists have been paid in full, a mass gathering permit has yet to be issued, and tickets still have not gone on sale.
Lang took to Facebook on Monday evening, saying the following:
We are committed to ensuring that the 50th anniversary of Woodstock is marked with a festival deserving of its iconic name and place in American history and culture. Although our financial partner is withdrawing , we will of course be continuing with the planning of the festival and intend to bring on new partners. We would like to acknowledge the State of New York and Schuyler County for all of their hard work and support. The bottom line is, there is going to be a Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival, as there must be, and it’s going to be a blast !
Also at issue is the lack of a mass gathering permit, which would allow for ticket sales to commence. Per New York State Department of Health guidelines, a temporary permit is needed 15 days prior to the advertising or selling of tickets. That permit, as of now, has not been acquired by Woodstock 50.
While media outlets are reporting the festival is cancelled, Lang is committed to saving the star-studded festival from an untimely demise. He did so in 1969. Let’s see if he has another miracle up his sleeve.
Billboard is reporting that Woodstock 50, scheduled to take place Aug. 16-18 at the Watkins Glen International Speedway has been cancelled.
According to a statement released by the Dentsu Aegis Network, who was funding the event, “We don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock brand name.”
TMZ reports that Michael Lang, the festival’s promoter, was surprised by Dentu’s announcement and that, “they’re not giving up on the festival yet.”
The announcement comes on the heels of a delay in ticket sales, which were supposed to have gone live on Earth Day, April 22. The full statement is below.
“It’s a dream for agencies to work with iconic brands and to be associated with meaningful movements. We have a strong history of producing experiences that bring people together around common interests and causes which is why we chose to be a part of the Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival. But despite our tremendous investment of time, effort and commitment, we don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners and attendees. As a result and after careful consideration, Dentsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live, a partner of Woodstock 50, has decided to cancel the festival. As difficult as it is, we believe this is the most prudent decision for all parties involved.”
NYS Music will provide information as it becomes available.
Updated 4:15: Bloomberg quotes promoter Michael Lang saying weekend passes for Woodstock 50 will cost “around $450.” Lang is also exploring expanding the festival to an annual event, taking place at locations around the world.
Tickets for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair were supposed to have gone on sale this past Monday, April 22. On Saturday the Woodstock website revealed that tickets would be “on sale soon” with no reason given for the delay.
On Monday, the Poughkeepsie Journal reported that Schuyler County Administrator Tim O’Hearn thinks the Aug. 16-18 festival at Watkins Glen International Speedway could be looking at a maximum capacity of 75,000 attendees rather than the 100,000 organizers had originally anticipated.
When asked if the county had placed an attendance cap, the county administrator stated:
We have maintained the position that the attendance number would be set at whatever number the production team and promoter could demonstrate they could support with adequate infrastructure and security. That number has been determined to be 75,000â¦
Tim O’Hearn, Schuyler County Administrator Pougkeepsie Journal
In order to begin promoting and selling tickets for the event, organizers are required to obtain a temporary mass gathering permit from the New York State Department of Health. According to Rochester TV station WHEC, the state received the permit application on April 15 and is currently reviewing the paperwork.
Michael Lang, Woodstock Promoter
The Department of Health’s website states, “Application for a permit to promote or hold a mass gathering shall be made at least 15 days before the first day of advertising and at least 45 days before the first day of the gathering,” making April 30 the earliest possible date organizers could begin advertising the event.
Promoter Michael Lang announced the performers for the 50th Anniversary event last month. Headliners include Jay-Z, The Raconteurs, Miley Cyrus, Dead & Co, Santana and Robert Plant.
Rumors about the stability of the event began circulating when another headliner, The Black Keys, announced they would not be performing due to a scheduling conflict. Flames were then further fanned with the delay of ticket sales.
Woodstock 50 is scheduled to take place Aug. 16-18 at the Watkins Glen International Speedway in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
Woodstock 50 Lineup:
Aug. 16: The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Santana, The Lumineers, The Raconteurs, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, John Fogerty, Run the Jewels, The Head and the Heart, Maggie Rogers, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Bishop Briggs, Anderson East, Akon, Princess Nokia, John Sebastian, Melanie, Grandson, Fever 333, Dorothy, Flora Cash, Larkin Poe, Brian Cadd and Ninet Tayeb.
Aug. 17: Dead & Company, Chance the Rapper, Sturgill Simpson, Greta Van Fleet, Portugal, The Man, Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, David Crosby and Friends, Dawes, Margo Price, Nahko and Medicine for the People, India.Arie, Jade Bird, Country Joe McDonald, Rival Sons, Emily King, Soccer Mommy, Sir, Taylor Bennett, Amy Helm, Courtney Hadwin, Pearl, John-Robert and IAMDDB,
Aug. 18: Jay-Z, Imagine Dragons, Halsey, Cage the Elephant, Brandi Carlile, Janelle Monae, Young the Giant, Courtney Barnett, Common, Vince Staples, Judah and the Lion, Earl Sweatshirt, Boygenius, Reignwolf, The Zombies, Canned Heat, Hot Tuna, Pussy Riot, Cherry Glazerr, Leven Kali, The Marcus King Band, Victory, Hollis Brown, John Craigie, Amigo the Devil and Liz Brasher.
After months of speculation, the Woodstock 50 lineup was revealed Tuesday. Included in the lineup were the rumored artists leaked two weeks ago.
Headliners for the Aug. 16-18 festival, being held at Watkins Glen International Speedway in the Finger Lakes region of New York include: Jay-Z, the Killers, Dead & Company, Imagine Dragons, Miley Cyrus and Chance the Rapper.
In a reflection of the current musical landscape, the lineup includes several pop and hip-hop performers: the aforementioned Jay-Z, Run the Jewels, Common, Halsey, Janelle Monáe, Cyrus, India.Arie, Princess Nokia, Chance the Rapper and Earl Sweatshirt.
There’s also a noticeable female presence this year with artists such as Soccer Mommy, Brandi Carlile, Bishop Briggs, Monáe, Cyrus Margo Price, Jade Bird, Emily King, Flora Cash and Cherry Glazerr.
The somewhat lacking legacy component of the lineup that producer Michael Lang had promised was also officially revealed in the Tuesday announcement. Several original Woodstock performers will be gracing the stages for the 50th. Santana, Canned Heat, John Fogerty, Country Joe McDonald, John Sebastian, Melanie, David Crosby and members of Dead & Company all performed at the original Woodstock at Bethel in 1969.
Tickets for the three-day event go on sale April 22. For more information, visit the official Woodstock website here.
Woodstock 50 Lineup:
Friday, Aug. 16:
The Killers Miley Cyrus Santana The Lumineers The Raconteurs Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats John Fogerty Run The Jewels The Head and The Heart Maggie Rogers Michael Franti & Spearhead Bishop Briggs Anderson East Akon Princess Nokia John Sebastian Melanie Grandson Fever 333 Dorothy Flora Cash Larkin Poe Brian Cadd Ninet Tayeb
Saturday, Aug. 17:
Dead & Company Chance The Rapper The Black Keys Sturgill Simpson Greta Van Fleet Protugal. The Man Leon Bridges Gary Clark Jr. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros David Crosby & Friends Dawes Margo Price Nahko & Medicine For The People India.Arie Jade Bird Country Joe McDonald Rival Sons Emily King Soccer Mommy Sir Taylor Bennett Amy Helm Courtney Hadwin Pearl John-Robert IAMDBB
Sunday, Aug. 18:
Jay-Z Imagine Dragons Halsey Cage The Elephant Brandi Carlile Janelle Monáe Young The Giant Courtney Barnett Common Vince Staples Judah & The Lion Earl Sweatshirt Boygenius Reignwolf The Zombies Canned Heat Hot Tuna Pussy Riot Cherry Glazerr Leven Kali The Marcus King Band Victory Hollis Brown John Craigie Amigo The Devil Liz Brasher
moe. played the State Theatre in Portland, ME Friday night, the first of a two-night run there to kick off their quick February jaunt through the northeast. A glance at the Al Schnier-heavy setlist reveals a message for the Commander-in-Chief from moe. Each song title’s first letter makes up an acronym.
“Ass” refers to the original working title for the song “Bullet,” which is referenced as “Assfinger” on setlists. Astute readers may also notice the mention of the word “ass” twice.
moe. performs at the State again on Saturday before heading Concord, NH Thursday, Feb. 21. See the official setlist post from moe.’s Facebook page below.
Also of note is a new Schnier song, “Screaming and Kicking,” which made its debut Friday.
moe. State Theatre, Portland, Maine – February 15, 2019
Set 1: Tailspin > Ricky Marten > Understand, meat., Waiting For The Punchline, It
Set 2: Seat Of My Pants > Akimbo, Little Miss Cup Half Empty > Y.O.Y., I Can Never Remember, New Hope For The New Year, George > Bullet
Encore: Screaming & Kicking#, Spaz Medicine
{# First time played (original al. song) First and second sets acronym – using setlist nomenclature for Bullet
Check out the show as uploaded to the Internet Archive here.
Hudson Valley acoustic septet, Upstate, released their sophomore album, Healing on Friday. Ahead of the release, the band performed at New York’s City Winery. Check out video from that performance below.
Upstate evolved out of Upstate Rubdown. They employ a blend of jazz, folk, R&B, gospel and rock with gorgeous three-part harmonies and unorthodox instrumentation to produce a unique sound.
The band is currently on tour with several New York dates lined up. The album is currently available on most streaming services.
Upstate Tour:
Feb. 8 – Higher Ground – South Burlington, VT
Feb. 9 – Space
Ballroom – Hamden, CT
Feb. 10 – City Winery
– Boston, MA
Feb. 11 – City Winery – New York City, NY
Feb. 13 – Thin Man Brewery – Buffalo, NY
Feb. 14 – The Haunt – Ithaca, NY
Feb. 15 – The Colony – Woodstock, NY
Feb. 16 – Flour City Station – Rochester, NY
Feb. 20 – Magic Rat
Live Music – Fort Collins, CO
Feb. 21 – Cervantes’
Masterpiece Ballroom & Cervantes’ Other Side – Denver, CO
Feb. 23 –
WinterWonderGrass – CO – Steamboat Springs, CO
Feb. 24 –
WinterWonderGrass – CO – Steamboat Springs, CO
Feb. 27 – WTVP – Peoria,
IL
Feb. 28 – Martyrs’ – Chicago,
IL
March 1 – The Refectory Restaurant and Bistro – Columbus, OH
March 2 – Riverdog
Retreat – Wakeman, OH
March 3 – Club Café – Pittsburgh, PA
March 7 – Weinberg
Center for the Arts – Frederick, MD
March 8 – Richmond Music Hall – Richmond, VA
March 9 – PURPLE
FIDDLE – Thomas, WV
March 10 – The Grove – Fayetteville, WV
March 12 – Eddie’s Attic – Decatur, GA
March 14 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
March 16 – Free Range Brewing – Charlotte, NC
March 29 – WinterWonderGrass – CA -Olympic Valley, CA
After 14 years at Hunter Mountain, Mountain Jam announced its lineup Thursday and that it will be relocating to the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, site of the original Woodstock festival. Mountain Jam will be held June 13-16.
More than 40 artists were announced as the festival looks to get back to its roots of being more jam-friendly. Headliners for the 15th edition of Mountain Jam include Gov’t Mule, Willie Nelson and Family, and the Avett Brothers. An additional headliner will be announced later in the spring.
The fest will have a decidedly New York flair with the inclusion of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Amy Helm, Marco Benevento, Consider the Source, Wild Adriatic, and the Big Takeover.
Early Bird tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 8 at 10:00 a.m. and are available through Monday, Feb. 11 at 11:59 p.m. for $159 through the Mountain Jam website.
The Syracuse Area Music Awards has announced its new class of inductees for the SAMMY Hall of Fame as well as nominees among 13 categories for the 2019 SAMMY Awards.
Lou Reed
The 2019 inductees include ’50s doo-wop band, Little Jan and the Radiants; 95X radio personality and host of the weekly radio program “Locals Only,” Scott Dixon; long-running independent acoustic duo, Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman; and highly influential drummer and music store owner, Al Falso.
Scott Dixon
The SAMMYS will also posthumously honor Syracuse University alumnus, Lou Reed with the Lifetime Achievement Award and internationally acclaimed trombonist, Melissa Gardiner as Educator of the Year.
Other honorees this year are well-known street musician, Elijah Harris, Jr., with the Founders Award and a brand new award named in honor of its inaugural recipient, Jack O Bocchino, the Jack O Bocchino Spirit of Syracuse Award.
Jack O Bocchino
Now in its 26th year, the Syracuse Area Music Awards seeks to honor musicians, educators, industry professionals and supporters of the Central New York Music scene. This year’s Hall of Fame dinner and awards ceremony will take place March 7 and 8. The Hall of Fame dinner will be held upstairs at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Willow Street while the awards will be presented at Eastwood’s Palace Theater.
Performers at the awards ceremony include a Lou Reed tribute band that features Stuart Heinrich and Ellard “Moose” Bolles of Reed’s late ’70s-early ’80s backing band. Also performing are 2019 inductees, Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman, past SAMMY recipient, R&B band Stroke, 2018 Best Jamband winner, Barroom Philosophers and Sean McLeod with 2017 Best R&B winner Alani Skye.
Tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner and the awards ceremony are available through the SAMMYS website. Tickets for the dinner are $25 and tickets for the ceremony are $20. The dinner will run from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 7. The awards ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m.
NewsChannel 9 WSYR’s morning show, Bridge Street is hosting the SAMMY Spotlight Series each Thursday at 10:00 a.m. through March 7. Artists featured on the program include:
Feb 7- Late Earth
Feb 14 – Sera Bullis
Feb 21 – Infinity
Feb 28 – Fritz’s Polka Band
Mar 7 – Bad Mama’s Blues Band
The 2019 SAMMY nominees:
Best Pop
Screen Test, Through the Past Brightly
Forgottensong, Forgottensong Vol 1 and 2
Emma Jude, Pocket Full of Postcards
Best Hip Hop/Rap
G-Netics, Elevated
Big Nate MG, No Hooks Needed x Hook Line
J. R. Lottary, Instant Win
Chris Mac, Go For Broke Project
MLA, Salute Me
Best Americana
Joe Davoli, Golden Rule
Eileen Nicholson Kalfass, Crossing Bridges
Ghost Town Ramblers, Ghost Town Ramblers
Dennis McGuire’s One Man Band, Old Songs Rusty Strings
Best Alternative
Townhouse Warrior, Words, Unsaid
The Amazing Shakes, 10x The Crash
Strange To Look At, Strange To Look At
The Beuchesnes, Twilight Interstate
Late Earth, Late Earth
Sympathy, For Everyone to See
Best Rock
Jukin’ Bone, Unfinished Business
Atkins Riot, Atkins Riot “Iguanas”
Tony Touris, Ghost Town
Climbing Stars, Ascension
The Trend, J Marc Memorial Show
Best Hard Rock
One Step From Falling, Stuck
Amerikan Primitive, Down to the Devil
The Last Divide, The Last Divide
Between Hope & Fear, Between Hope & Fear
Damon Larus, Crusade
Best Other Style
Emedin Rivera, Tropical Tubulence
Samba Laranja: The SU Brazilian Ensemble, Gurana′
Fritz’s Polka Band, Hey!
Best Jam Band
Mike Davis and the Laughing Budda Episodes, Find Yourself – › Caterpillar
According to Music Business Worldwide, stockholders of Pandora approved a $3 and a half billion, all stock acquisition of the streaming platform by Sirius XM.
Once complete, Pandora’s CEO, Roger Lynch will step down and Sirius XM CEO Jim Meyer will step in as the head of the combined company.
The acquisition was first announced in September and is expected to “close shortly,” according to a message to Pandora investors.
The terms of the deal call for each share of Pandora common stock being converted to 1.44 shares of Sirius common stock.
The Sirius common stock will continue to be traded on the NASDAQ market while Pandora will be delisted on the New York Stock Exchange. (Credit: Krypto Trading lernen)
