Welcome to NYS Music’s comprehensive guide to all the music festivals found in the Empire State throughout the Summer of 2019! Read on to learn about what festivals are coming up, ticketing and lineup info, and what past years can tell us about what to expect for next year!
Historic Cobblestone District – Downtown Buffalo, NY. T
It’s a good spot for a mid-level band…they treat you like a king. At the end of the day, when you treat your musicians well, they’re going to play better, your patrons are going to be happier…it works all around. It’s definitely a music venue for musicians.
Past Highlights: Broken Social Scene, The Sheepdogs, Turkuaz, Aqueous, Chicano Batman, Golf Clap, Andy Frasco & the U.N., Michelangelo Carruba Super Jam, Ratboys, Dynamo.
2019 Lineup: Aqueous, Sloan, Tauk, Joy Wave, Billy Strings, Langhorne Slim, Witty Tarbox.
Pricing: $35 Two-Day Pass ($45 Walk-up), $20 Single Day, $100 VIP. *Late night passes to be announced
Emerging Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Artist, Ian Flanigan seamlessly weaves intricate acoustics and lyricism across supportive cello arrangements and skillful percussion. His sound — an eclectic blend of progressive folk and percussive finger-style — is reminiscent of the road less traveled, paved with poignant lyrical truths of his past.
Past Highlights: Adam Ezra Group, Beth Molaro, Buddy System, Bunkhouse Boys, The Clayfoot Strutters, Dan Navarro, Dar Williams, Eclectic Dance Orchestra Sun.
2019 Lineup: Andrew VanNorstrand, Stephen Kellog, Annie & the Hedonists, Annie Wenz, Beth Molaro, Buddy System, Carolann Solebello, Crys Matthews, Emma’s Revolution, The Falcon Ridge House Band (Mark Dann, Eric Lee, Radoslav Lorkovic).
Pricing:$175 3-Day Ticket w/ Camping; $130 Without. (May 16-July 10th). FREE for Children 12 & Under. All 3 day tickets include Pre-Fest Thursday admission.
The art and music festival started with a house show featuring a stage on the lawn and acoustic acts on the back porch of the farmhouse. Over the past decade, it has grown into three-day-long music festival in a natural amphitheater nestled between the rolling hills of Cortland.
Past Highlights: Sophistafunk, Root Shock and NYS Music 87/90 artist, Space Carnival, The Unknown Jones, The Neighbors, Dirty Blanket.
2019 Lineup: The Comb Down, The Blind Spots, The Speculators, Digger Jones, Root Shock.*A special film screening Sunday with live score by Chris Kuklis and The Seedstock Cinematic Orchestra.
June 21, 2019 is just around the corner, which means summer is almost here and, more importantly, the 18th edition of Rochester International Jazz Festival is about to begin.
Jazz Fest is a comforting tradition on the Rochester scene, but that embraces great change with each year. It is continually being modified to adjust to forces out of the producers control and in an effort to create a perfected festival experience.
This year sees some big changes. For one, the title sponsor is now CGI taking over for longtime sponsor Xerox. The footprint of the festival is also changing quite a bit. Harro East and Anthology are no longer venues. They are replaced by Geva: two venues in one place, Fielding Stage and Wilson Stage. Also, M&T Pavilion Squeezers Stage is housed in a new tent on Parcel 5.
What hasn’t changed is nine straight days of world-spanning A-class music. We don’t really think you can go wrong with this year’s lineup, but here are some suggestions to help guide you on your way.
Jam-adjacent
Some musicians, better known for their involvement in jam bands, will be performing at the fest. Percussion master Cyro Baptista and singer Jennifer Hartswick, both members of the Trey Anastasio Band, are bringing their equally compelling solo bands. Hartswick will be joined by Nick Cassarino on guitar. Aron Magner, of the trance fusion Disco Biscuits, has a brand new jazz trio called Spaga, who will be playing one of their first shows together.
While not exclusively held at the new Geva Theater Fielding Stage, this venue will be home to a slew of excellent Americana artists: Acoustic guitar phenom, Jon Stickley, will be with his well-travelled trio; One-man wonder, The Suitcase Junket, will wow with his bag of tricks; and Circus No. 9 brings their unique blend of progressive bluegrass sounds.
Sun, June 23 6:30 PM & 8:30 PM Geva Theatre Center â Fielding Stage
Instrumentalists
It isn’t easy for an artist to make an instrument you’ve heard countless times seem new again, but these groups are each defying that on their respective tools of the trade. Adam Ben Ezra on bass, Stefon Harris on vibes, and, newcomer from across the pond, Nubya Garcia on sax . All are can’t miss players playing at this year’s festival.
Fri, Jun 28 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage FREE
Party Time
It’s summer, it’s a festival and sometimes you’re just going to want to get up and dance. These bands will offer that opportunity. Another brilliant young product of the UK, Kansas Smitty’s House Band, sounds decidedly American covering a wide range of styles. Empire Strikes Brass appropriately strikes a balance between evil, spacey and horn-y, while Aquaducks get a bit more down and dirty with their funky output.
Mon, June 24 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage FREE
Tue, June 25 7:00 PM & 9:00 PM Fusion Stage FREE
Adventurous
The Nordic and Euro Jazz Now Series at the Lutheran Church is our go-to spot for musicians painting outside of the lines, challenging our sensibilities. When in doubt, you can go there blind and there’s a good chance you’ll catch something mystifying. Although, it isn’t the only place to seek adventure. These three artists will definitely take you there, so don’t miss ’em!
“It’s not who you know, it’s who you don’t know” has been the festival’s mantra from the beginning. Though after 18 years, there will be plenty of returnees who you definitely know. This year, three guitarists are standing out on our list of must-see-agains. Bill Frisell, who has brought a number of different bands to his seven festival appearances, returns with his trio. Ron Artis II and the Truth was a “wow” discovery last year, and Scott Sharrard is always a sure bet for some hot jams.
At a festival with some of best from across the globe, there’s still plenty of space carved out for the incredible amount of talent we have right here in Rochester. Proceedings on the Jazz Street Stage get started daily by younger sets from local schools and bands. They get the Big Tent and Squeezers Stage moving with free early sets and keep the Fusion Stage grooving throughout midweek. Plenty more regional artists get sprinkled in throughout. Here are three Rochestarians you definitely don’t want to miss.
More so than ever before, we’re just scratching the surface here. There is nary a wrong turn to make, so get out there and try something new. See the full lineup and all the details at the highly informative Rochester Jazz Fest web site, and stay tuned to our twitter feed for daily updates.
Salutations friends! As June opens its’ door, festival season is officially underway. People can once again begin to embark out on the perpetual quest to satisfy their ears and eyes by indulging in one of the greatest gifts life has to offer-live music. Across the nation, fans now engage in chasing their favorite destination events, bands, songs, and comrades. Among them, next weekend’s (June 13-16, 2019) Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.
Bonnaroo has risen to world fame from its’ beginnings as a mostly jam-centric haven to its’ current state, a wonderful melting pot of genre, visual art, and collectiveness from all over the planet. Yes, Bonnaroo is one of the largest festivals in the country, but it’s so much more. It is an explosion of diversity through art, a sponge for culture, and a tradition of expression like none other.
The lineup this year is as staggering as ever, dripping with intrigue at every avenue. Heading up the cavalry is the likes of Phish, Cardi B., Post Malone, The Childish Gambino, The Avett Brothers, Griz, John Prine, Gucci Mane, Odesza, Solange, The Lumineers, Brandi Carlisle, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, The Grand Ole Opry, The National, and so many, many more brilliant acts waiting to unload, including tremendous representation from New York sure to stamp the South. Additionally, Bonnaroo boasts so much extra flavor it differentiates itself from any other event on the circuit. Bonnaroo has, and continues to always stand-alone in greatness and mystique. As I prepare to join the horde down on the farm, let’s look ahead to some of what this year’s installment has to offer.
Bonnaroo stretches four days; each packed to the brim with exciting names, activities, and opportunity. I look forward to rejoining the mass down in Manchester for the first time in many years, and it’s a pleasure to act as the correspondent for NYS Music for the first time! I’ll be rolling along from start to finish as the biggest party of the year pops its’ top, and I’d like to point to a few things which excite me about this event.
The Grand Ole Opry (Thursday evening): This conglomerate of folk and bluegrass takes the headlining slot on Thursday evening. The wagon features Old Crow Medicine Show, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Ricky Skaggs and a collection of other friends that is sure to bring the downhome sounds of the do-si-dos right into the heart of Graceland. The energy at Bonnaroo on Thursday night is something fierce; of course arriving at a festival is always special. Anticipation breathes, evening comes quickly, and for the first time the site really becomes alive. Bonnaroo Thursday is the above but just a little more special simply because of the size and tradition of this place. The sounds of Appalachia is the perfect way to send the first shockwave through the crowds, and I can’t wait to see what this group of bluegrass all stars has to throw down.
Access to new discovery: I can’t stress to our readers and fellow attendees how special this aspect of the festival is. Naturally a few names will jump off the lineup every year, and every individual has their favorites, but Bonnaroo is at its’ roots a mecca of discovery. Stumbling upon a band I’ve never heard of, from a distant region, or perhaps one whose genre is so outside my wheel well is just serene, and Bonnaroo is the place for that. I encourage those on the grounds to get lost at least once, and bask in the sheer size and undertaking of this gathering. Follow your feet to sound, and discover something new.
Sheryl Crow – photo by Nick Karp, Bonnaroo 2018
Phish: The boys from Vermont make their third appearance on the hollowed grounds of the What Stage for what promises to be an epic soul shakedown. Their last appearance at the ‘Roo was in 2012, and the band is in quite a different place today then they were in 2012, when they really had just begun to step back into their stride following their hiatus during the early and mid 2000s. Today, the band has been firing on all cylinders for quite a while, and while Bonnaroo is only at the tip of their summer tour, these shows will be absolutely special. Especially of note is Friday’s performance, which finds the foursome busting loose at 11pm, a start time much later than their usual shows. Always well aware of the stage and moment, expect a high energy, barnburner style punch right out of the gate.
Photo by Brian Ferguson – Magnaball 2015
New York in the house: Good news everyone! Fine company represents New York this year down in Manchester. A group that includes headliner Cardi B, the space funk party sounds of Rubblebucket, the indie quartet Parquet Courts, the dynamic electro dance king Space Jesus, the multi-instrumentalist rockers The Lemon Twigs, the young singer-songwriter and producer whiz King Princess, modern pioneers of the “now” sound AJR, and of course Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. I want to touch explicitly on Russo’s band for a second, or, JRAD, as many known them by their acronym. JRAD, a band born at the New York’s own Brooklyn Bowl in 2013 is a group which reprises the music of The Grateful Dead in a way that is so fresh, so their own that a listener can get completely lost within their compositions. Bonnaroo would not be the same without some iteration of The Dead’s catalogue in its’ midst and JRAD is the perfect selection. Late night? In a tent (That Tent)? Yes please. The group pioneered by kit virtuoso Joe Russo is always good for a surprise as well. Listen carefully for off the wall covers and licks to keep the crowd guessing. This collection of homegrown artists is as diverse as the great state and city from which they hail, and it will be a treat to see how they weave into the mix.
Photo by Nick Karp, Bonnaroo 2018
The site/sights/people: Bonnaroo is absolutely a national treasure of sound, but it’s also delightfully visual. The installations and works of vast creative genius teams stretch far beyond the actual venue (dubbed Center Roo), and engulf in color, light, and wonder that sweeps through the surrounding campgrounds and commonplaces that make up the bulk of the festival’s map. Feast your eyes on tapestry of color created by attendees and visual artists alike. There is not a more diverse group of patrons to be found than at Bonnaroo, and there is something very powerful to be said in that. The beauty in a distinct diversity of ages, races, sexes, nationalities and beyond all transcend themselves on the farm. I have always found it to be a fluid place in so many different ways, I encourage everyone to notice how special this feature is as they traverse through the weekend.
Bonnaroo has a lane, a speed, and a taste for everyone. It continues to reinvent itself. It’s a testament to the industry and people for which it serves. Stages arise out of the woods; themed areas such as The Christmas Club Barn wait to be stumbled upon, roving DJ pop up sets in the plazas of the camps are just the beginning. To invoke the great Paul Simon, these are the days of miracle and wonder, of lasers in the jungle my friends, this is the long distance call. A wave of positive kinetic madness is about break under the hot Tennessee sun. Bonnaroo 2019 is finally here!
For more information on the Bonnaroo Music & Arts
Festival, including tickets, the complete lineup, map, schedule, and much more,
visit www.Bonnaroo.com. Keep your
browsers dialed in right here at NYS Music for all of our coverage as I roam
around the fields with my trusty photographer Rob Roane. Check our coverage out
throughout the festival as we document our happenings via the NYS Music
Instagram page, and after the festival wraps we will be dropping our reviews to
keep you informed, up to date, and enthralled. Until then my friends, I will
see you on the other side.
Rock lovers of the Hudson Valley rejoice. The Tail Winds Music Festival, located in Wappingers Falls, takes place on June 29. The all day event will feature eight renowned rock performances, food and drink, and family-friendly activities.
Comprised of Chris Robinson (lead vocals, guitar), Neal Casal (guitar), Tony Leone (drums), and Jeff Hill (bass), the folk/psychedelic rock band, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, is headlining the festival. Constantly pushing boundaries with their music, CRB provides an American folk/psychadelic rock sound. Joining them on the lineup is Black Stone Cherry, Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime, King’s X, Sass Jordan, The Jason Gisser Band, Big Guns, and The PlayBack, rounding out a full day of non-stop music.
Tail Winds Music Festival also offers food and drinks from a variety of food trucks and craft breweries, helicopter rides to experience a bird’s eye view of the festival, and family-friendly activities everyone can enjoy. For more information and ticket information for the festival click here.
Check out the Chris Robinson Brotherhood’s performance of “Rare Birds” live from The Shed this past weekend below.
This upcoming weekend, from Thursday, June 6 to Sunday, June 9, the 9th annual Disc Jam Music Festival will once again take place at Gardner’s Farm in Stephentown, NY. The festival is a melting pot of art, music, and disc golf, cooking up relaxed vibes and nonstop good music until 3 in the morning every day. Disc Jam’s dual main stage setup makes catching the next set as easy as can be, only having to shift a couple feet left or right to move to the next stage.
Thursday’s music kicks off on the Tent Stage with Space Junk is Forever, a jazz fusion duo out of Boston, MA that recently formed and recorded their debut album. The Tent Stage has sets going on all day, every day for the whole weekend. Other notable bands on Thursday to check out are Eggy, Of Clocks and Clouds, and Circles Around the Sun’s late night set. On the dual main stages, Dopapod bassist Chuck Jones and drummer Neal Evans’ side project Mom and Dad kicks off the action on Main Stage A (Live For Live Music Stage), followed by Litz and two sets of Aqueous. Main Stage B (Grassroots Stage) features the Connecticut-based group One Time Weekend, Horizon Wireless, Dynohunter, and the musical lovechild of Primus and Nine Inch Nails, lespecial.
Friday’s music starts a little earlier, with Wurliday and Funk Dawgz Brass Band opening up the Main Stages B and A, respectively. Following Wurliday, old school prog rockers The Breakfast will be melting faces, before West End Blend feeds everyone’s souls with the sweet, soothing voice of Erica T. Bryan and the no nonsense funk band behind her. The live electronic band Sunsquabi brings their 3-piece grooves to Stage B, with Ripe closing the stage out with an hour and a half long set. Over on Stage A, The Elovaters follows the Funky Dawgz; the Boston-based group will be bringing laid back vibes to the fest with their reggae sound and fresh new tunes from their recent release Defy Gravity. lespecial plays their second set of the weekend after the Elovaters, followed by saxophone duo Moon Hooch, and closed out by the recently returned prog rockers Dopapod, for their second performance of the year. On the tent stage, performances to keep an eye on are Muscle Tough, Formula 5 for one of their last ever performances, Catullus, and Consider the Source.
Saturday’s lineup kicks off with Audiodacity on the Main Stage B, followed by Paris Monster and Sam Kinninger Band. Root Shock opens up the Main Stage A, followed by Tweed, with Kung Fu chopping up funk grooves for an hour and a half after that. The four big performances on Saturday are Ghost Light, Papadosio, John K’s West Philly Fadeaway, and Lotus ft. Jon “Barber” Gutwillig. Ghost Light is Philly legend Tom Hamilton’s new project, featuring keyboardist Holly Bowling, drummer Scotty Zwang, guitarist Raina Mullen, and recent addition, bassist Dan Africano. The band blends indie-esque songwriting with intricate, weaving setlists and gets deep into improv during their live shows. Papadosio is a jamtronica band from Asheville, NC that uses a lot of electronic aspects in their music. Their shows seem to put out a very strong vibe, through the combination of the music and lights, of just being present in the moment, and experiencing the music as it happens.
John K’s West Philly Fadeaway hasn’t happened before, so there’s not much that can be said about it, other than the fact that it’s the OG Disco Biscuits with John K playing Dead tunes, which should be incredible. Then, finally, closing out the main sets of the night, is Lotus w/ Barber. Fans didn’t and still don’t know what to expect when this was announced, but from what bassist Jesse Miller has said, expect songs where the guitar is relatively clean so they can experiment with the effects. It should also be noted that Barber has played a number of shows with drummer Mike Greenfield and has stated that he’s a fan of Greenfield’s technique and textures, so there’s already a musical bond formed with arguably the most important part of the music. The Tent Stage on Saturday is chock full of awesome bands, though you’re gonna want to check out Timbre Coup, returning to the stage for the second time this year, Strange Machines, Space Bacon, and Chachuba, as well as the Doom Flamingo and CIA & Friends late night sets which will presumably feature some of drummer Allen Aucoin’s Disco Biscuits counterparts.
Sunday is a little lighter than the two days preceding it, with music ending at 8 p.m. instead of 3 a.m. Boston’s Dewpoint opens up Main Stage A, followed by Cape Cod jams rockers The New Motif, and Snarky Puppy side project Ghost Note, featuring MonoNeon and Nate Werth. Closing out Stage A is Pink Talking Fish, a cover act blending Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish together, who also recently gained a new guitarist, Cal Kehoe. Over on Stage B, Eastbound Jesus will open up the stage, followed by Disco Biscuits drummer Allen Aucoin’s solo project Dr. Fameus. Closing the B Stage out is Star Kitchen, Disco Biscuit bassist Marc Brownstein’s new funk side project that features guitarist Danny Meyer. The Tent Stage lineup for Sunday is all heavy hitters, with Baltimore’s Band Of Tomorrow, Upstate NY’s Space Carnival for their first show back since the hiatus, Brooklyn’s Escaper, and the Capital Region’s hard rockers Wild Adriatic all prominently featured. It would be worth it to check all of those bands out.
For the attendees that purchased a VIP ticket, the VIP lounge will be hosting several special solo piano sets, including Ben Carrey of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits, Jonathan Grusauskas of lespecial, and Ryan Dempsey of Twiddle. VIP ticket holders will also receive an exclusive merch package that includes pins, cups, prints and shirts, access to a complimentary craft beer garden, and access to a VIP camping area that includes bathrooms and showers.
For any FAQs or tickets, head over to the festival website. Check in with NYSMusic on Instagram durign the weekend for updates from the festival, and stay tuned next week for full coverage and a photo gallery from the weekend!
It rained, it scorched, a few artists had to cancel due to travel issues, but that did not stop Summer Camp from being an absolute blast! A festival full of ups and downs but mostly a lot of awesome, jaw-dropping moments of improvisation and collaboration, beauty, artistry, community, and fun.
Summer Camp, what a line up! Many sets of Umphrey’s Mcgee, moe., plus Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Lotus, STS9, Gramatik, Space Jesus, Papadosio, and so so many more! Unfortunately not all major acts performed due to various issues, some weather related – Space Jesus, Govinda, Blackstar, & Rebelution were some of the acts that were unable to perform.
moe. in full bubble mode.
The pre party did not look so promising on Wednesday night. In a nearby arcade bar in Peoria, just twenty minutes outside the festival, the sky was black and the lighting fierce. Tornado warnings broke up the chill vibe of the bar as it interrupted old hits like “Electric Feel” by MGMT.
But alas the rain stopped, as it always does. The sun came out and the patrons lined up at the entrance. God bless the express lane for media and the friendly folk who pointed out that media does not have to wait over an hour in the sun just to have their items inspected.
Umphrey’s McGee at the Sunshine stage. We’ll miss you, Jefferson Waful. (UM lighting designer to retire from touring at end of year).
Jay Blakesburg was directing the video team and filming patrons as they entered. The pre party featured some amazing acts like STS9, EOTO, Keller Williams, & Spafford, plus late night by Umphrey’s & Here Come The Mummies. Now that’s how you kick off a festival!
Spafford played an incredible “All In” as well as “The Reprise” amongst their shred-filled set. Umphrey’s Mcgee played some strong first sets including songs like “Andy’s Last Beer” and “Syncopated Strangers.” STS9’s ‘Axe The Cables’ set was filled with groove including a masterful “Mischief of a Sleepwalker” > “New Dawn New Day” > “Mischief of a Sleepwalker .”
Taz sits in with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at the Moonshine Stage.
Friday started off with Brandon “Taz” Niederauer. Now this kid can shred. “Fire on the Mountain” > “BlackBird” was phenomenal, heart touching, and ever so appropriate. Keller Williams’ Pettygrass with the Hillbenders was cancelled due to some lighting, a storm was coming that never came. Music is back on! moe., Exmag, Spafford, Karl Denson, Here Come The Mummies, Ghost Light (Tommy Hamilton still has the tape on his guitar from Shpongle Live Red Rocks!) and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong were all happy to oblige.
Since Rebelution was cancelled, moe. & Pigeons Playing Ping Pong put together a set. At first it was moe. with Jeremy Schon, but what happened next was really impressive. While playing the same song (“Cissy Strut” by The Meters), members of moe. on stage switched with the Pigeons guys backstage, switching bands while maintaining the same jam ! Crazy impressive. Other songs played included “Get Back” by The Beatles, “Deal”, and “Sympathy For The Devil” by The Rolling Stones.
Aqueous at the Moonshine Stage.
Umphrey’s McGee performed Anchor Drops in its entirety during their evening set, filled with virtuoso shredding and improvisation.
Some heavy hitting bass music on Friday by Zeds Dead, Tokimonsta, Flux Pavilion was followed by Ryan Stasik’s side project Doom Flamingo at the Campfire Stage who are definitely an act worth seeing.
Mihali sits in with Big Gigantic at the Sunshine Stage.
Saturday looked very promising, especially during the epic Big Gigantic set with an unexpected sit in by Mihali of Twiddle. But alas, during Umphrey’s set, the rain came in and washed it all away, along with several sets including those of Space Jesus & Manic Focus.
Saturday also featured amazing performances by Chromeo Live, Cory Wong of Vulfpeck, Blues Traveler with a sit in Mihali of Twiddle and a separate one from Al Schnier of moe. , Andy Frasco with a sit in from Gumby himself! (by sit in what is meant is that Andy invited someone in a Gumby suit from the crowd to dance on stage as he shoved mushrooms in the costume’s mouth and finished Gumby off with his band members with an implied circle jerk).
Cory Wong at the Moonshine Stage.
So spirits were a little low Saturday night in the rain. Some major acts had gotten cancelled and the rain was not letting up. But indoor stages were still on! lespecial saved the day. Space Jesus did not get to play but he was rocking out to lespecial for the entirety of the set front row. With a little support from ‘his uncle,’ Luke Bemand and the lespecial boys crushed the late night Saturday set including the lespecial heavy hitter “Fruit Wolf Dance.” All those folks who may have been somewhere else were now packed and raging lespecial. Their tight, hard rock, danceable groove was perfect for this night. What better Primus song to play after a torrential rain storm… My name is mud!
lespecial at The Soulshine Tent.
Sunday funday. Never miss a Sunday show right? Chris Robinson Brotherhood was in the house, Oteil & Friends, Eric Krasno, Papadosio, The Werks, Ben Harper… the jam was strong with this day.
Aqueous put on a particularly solid set to kick off the day featuring a live debut of “APunk” by Vampire Weekend. Umphrey’s, bringing the heat after having one of their Saturday night sets rained out, included “Whitehouse Road” by Tyler Childers with a special sit in from Arlo McKinley and Allie Kral from Yonder Mountain String Band. Umphrey’s McGee closed up their set with “Outshined” by Soundgarden.
Neal Casal, Weedie Braimah, and Oteil Burbridge of Oteil & Friends at The Moonshine Stage.
Oteil & Krasno in the VIP Lounge was beautiful, featuring masterful renditions of Dead songs such as “Help On The Way.” Oteil & Friends featured Jeff Chimenti, Krasno, Neal Casal, Weedie Braimah, John Kimock, and Alfreda Gerald. Now that was a set filled with such tight, progressive jams. It really flowed, had a direction, and was sonically impressive.
Chris Robinson Brotherhood put on an incredible set with songs like “Rare Birds” and “Venus In Chrome” was played with precision and whole lot of energy.
Chris Robinson Brotherhood at the Sunshine Stage.
moe. busted out some live debut covers including “Rebell Yell” & “Turning Japanese.” This set featured masterful, psychedelic stage lighting complete with UV reacting bubbles!
“Loving Cup” by The Rolling Stones was played at least twice that day by different bands, so that should tell you what kind of Sunday it was. A fun one. It was a Sunday Funday! Ben Harper & The Innocent Nocturnals proved to be intimate, full of masterful blues, and virtuoso musicianship including a Buddy Miles cover, “Them Changes.”
Ben Harper & The Innocent Nocturnals at the Sunshine Stage.
Lotus played a particularly awesome set, including a particularly groovey “Eats The light.” It flowed very well and people danced from the very first note until the end of the encore. Lotus is a nice happy medium between jam and electronica, where they can satisfy musical preferences of different tastes with the same song. Someone who loves to hear someone play guitar can appreciate their guitar playing, but someone who just wants to dance to a catchy beat can also do so at Lotus.
Summer Camp had some heavy hitting bass music to close out the festival featuring Gramatik, Squnto, & Borgore. Borgore dropped old classic dance songs that everyone knew like “Sandstorm.”
Mike Rempel of Lotus at the Sunshine Stage.
Overall, Summer Camp was a success! Thousands of strangers gathered to celebrate freedom, music, and art. Summer Camp is a magical place full of amazing people, incredible music, inspiring art, and a thriving community that is held together by the love of music.
The famed Bonnaroo Arch has been demolished, confirmed directly from Bonaroo’s social media accounts,. After buzz was created from posts about the arch being ‘destroyed’ and ‘burned in a fire,’ the iconic landmark on The Farm was put into question. It was engulfed in flames – rightfully so – due to structural deficiencies.
Goodbye old friend! ❤️This incarnation of the Bonnaroo Arch had significant structural issues and needed to be removed. The Arch has changed throughout the years, and we're exited for it's newest incarnation – Stay tuned + share your favorite arch pic! (📷 j_kelty on Insta) pic.twitter.com/ynJjhY8Du9
Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of NYS Music’s Bonnaroo Coverage in 2018.
The Bonnaroo Arch has draped the festival’s skyline since its inception in 2002. Over the years, its changing face has remained a rite of passage for new and returning festival junkies – illuminating the night’s sky as late night jam-sessions and raves blare till dawn.
Something (the arch?) is on fire on the @Bonnaroo Farm.
We want to thank you for being a loyal Bonnaroovian, and we appreciate your patience as we navigate the best options to ensure we can be together on the Farm in 2021.
The dates we originally announced for Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 2021 have changed. Bonnaroo will now take place on September 2-5, 2021. Information on lineup, camping and accommodations will be available at a later date.
We encourage you to rollover your tickets to the new dates, however, we will make refunds available for those who cannot attend.
The daunting Woodstock 50 – Back to the Garden – The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive box set debuts August 2, exactly two weeks before the Woodstock festival revival was said to take place. Limited to 1969 units, the 38-disc box set is completely remastered, spanning the original festival top to bottom. All 433 tracks are catalogued between Friday’s opening set of Richie Havens to Jimi Hendrix, spilling into Monday morning.
More than half of the total runtime debuts unheard releases. The 267 song homage captures names like Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sly and the Family Stone and many greats for the first time.
Each box comes loaded with a guitar strap, Director’s cut Blu-Ray, prints, writings and other memorabilia. A coffee table book, Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music, fuses visuals with sound and are accompanied by Lang’s insights and memories to 1969.
The collection is a time-capsule weaved with personality; notably from a replica diary written by an inspired attendee. Stage-banter sucks you into different angles in time – retrospective in particular lights of the festival experience, and flat out rock and roll. The expansive archive captures festival blurbs from random attendees taped by sound recordist Charles Groesbeek, and backstage audio. Its mass will be organized neatly, day to day. From an analytical measure or for the pure Woodstock-junkie, this box set is remarkable. Experience it day by day as if it were 1969. Price of admission: $799.98
The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive can be preordered 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.
Calling all aspiring chefs, taste-testers and food lovers; Vinnie’s Kitchen is making a return to Summer Camp 2019! This year, moe.’s Vinnie Amico will be hosting his cooking show during the Thursday Pre-Party. Summer Camp is giving fans a chance to participate in the recording of the episode!
All you need to do to cook with Vinnie is share a description of your favorite festival food and attach a photo/video in a post on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In order to enter you must include the hashtag #VinniesKitchenSCamp19 by Friday, May 3. Then, fans will vote to see who wins the grand prize – a 4-day pass to Summer Camp, and you get to pick the recipe you and Vinnie cook together! For more info, visit Vinnie’s Kitchen.
