Goose has let loose their third studio single of 2019, “Butter Rum,” ahead of the start of their Fall Tour which kicks off in Albany on Friday, October 18. The track is the band’s third consecutive song mastered by Grammy award winner Emily Lazar (Beck, Vampire Weekend).
“Butter Rum” is a playful tale of holiday romance heartbreak. The song’s lively tropical momentum will carry you through butterflies, barbeques, and blue Hawaiians as a boy and a girl wander aimlessly hand-in-hand for days. The couple weave through sweat-soaked night clubs and piercing 6 AM sunshine until the vacation ends he’s left with “nothing but the rum.” Grab a drink and prepare to have your heart broken by the sweetheart you were never meant to have.
As their fall tour kicks off, Goose has four sell out shows and surely more to follow given the buzz they’ve been gaining over the year. A stellar Peach Festival set is just one of the highlights of this Norwalk, CT based indie-groove outfit. At the tour opener in Albany at Parish Public House, Eggy will open the night, with music starting right at 9pm, followed by two sets of Goose.
The rest of the 20+ date tour carries Goose to NYC on Halloween, Buffalo in mid November then out to with a year end show at Goosemas, the band’s annual holiday extravaganza, held at the Wall Street Theater in Norwalk.
Fall 2019 Tour Dates
OCT 18 – Albany, NY, Parish Public House Sold Out
OCT 19 – Cambridge, MA, Sonia Sold Out
OCT 25 – Wilkes-Barre, PA, River Street Jazz Cafe
OCT 31 – New York, NY, Mercury Lounge Sold Out
NOV 02 – New Haven, CT, College Street
NOV 07 – Harrisburg, PA, Club XL
NOV 08 – Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
NOV 10 – Richmond, VA, The Camel
NOV 14 – Pittsburgh, PA, Roxian Theatre
NOV 15 – Columbus, OH, The Summit
NOV 16 – Buffalo, NY, Nietzche’s Sold Out
DEC 05 – Fort Collins, CO, Aggie Theatre
DEC 06 – Denver, CO, Cervantes Other Side
DEC 07 – Steamboat Springs, CO, Old Town Pub
DEC 08 – Steamboat Springs, CO, Old Town Pub
DEC 11 – St. Louis, MO, The Bootleg
DEC 12 – Chicago, IL, Lincoln Hall
DEC 13 – Cincinnati, OH, Top Cats
DEC 14 – Indianapolis, IN, The Mousetrap
DEC 21 – Goosemas VI – South Norwalk, CT, Wall Street Theatre
Halleloo, a Brooklyn-based creative agency and production company has launched a monthly video series featuring artists performing acoustic versions of their songs on the studio couch. With just one take, Halleloo’s series supports their mission of providing unique, creative video content for artists and businesses and empowering them to do what they love.
Founder Nathan Chang says of the series, “I started this project as a way to highlight musicians in a stripped down, acoustic setting. I love seeing videos of artists I love just noodling around in their living rooms, being amazing musicians, so this is a way to take that setting into a professional video environment, but still in a living room on a couch. No frills. Just great video, great lighting, great music – that was the goal.
“I think it’s simply because the folks we bring in are, at their essence, just amazing musicians – and sometimes I think that can get lost in a studio edit. But here, it’s highlighted.”
This month’s featured artist is Lohai, a Brooklyn duo made up of Alita Moses and Devon Yesberger who normally play with a full band. For their Halleloo session the pair sang their hit song “Baby I Know You Will” in the stripped down couch setting. Stay tuned for more Halleloo’s Couch Series through their YouTube and Instagram.
Sarah Perry of Kero Kero Bonito at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Fresh off their new EP, Civilisation I, London-based band Kero Kero Bonito brought their edgy electro-pop to Brooklyn Steel this past Thursday night. Negative Gemini opened the show, delivering a dance friendly set to a highly energetic crowd, eager to get the night started.
Originally a trio, Kero Kero Bonito have expanded their live band to include two more members; adding a whole new layer of noise and groove to their live sound. Sarah Perry fronts the band and continuously engages the crowd while adding quirky theatrical elements, like waving an oversized white flag during the opening song “Battle Lines.”
Sarah Perry of Kero Kero Bonito at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
New band members James Rowland and Jennifer Walton were on percussion and keyboard duties, and throughout the show they kept switching instruments for various solos and jams. They each brought their own style to the instruments and the band remained just as sharp regardless of who was playing what.
Jennifer Walton of Kero Kero Bonito at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Kero Kero Bonito have a dedicated and highly engaged fanbase. The audience sung along to every track and did not let up the energy one bit. The lengthy 21 song main set never felt dull, even when Sarah announced a “break” to perform one of the groups slower songs. Break time quickly ended and the high energy performance continued. During the encore, there was an unlikely cover of U2’s “Vertigo,” which sent the crowd into a frenzy.
A unique mix of punk and electro-pop with a traditional J-pop influence really set Kero Kero Bonito apart from other indie pop blends. They present a vibrant performance and their discography continues to evolve. The band continues on their North American tour through November.
Buffalo’s Head North has booked two shows in December. It’s been two years since the alternative band’s last live performances. They’ll be playing Brooklyn at The Knitting Factory on Dec. 19, then a show in their hometown at Mohawk Place on Dec. 21. Joining them for both dates is Tennessee-based singer/songwriter Bogues. Ticket information is available here.
Over the summer, Head North released the single “Rhodora,” the first taste of their upcoming sophomore album. This and other new material has been recorded at the band’s own space, Bigfoot! Studios, at the helm of frontman/producer Brent Martone. It’s a follow-up to 2017’s The Last Living Man Alive Ever in The History of The World. For more about that album, see the NYS Music interview.
Steve Lacy sold out the Apollo Theater, his fifth stop on his first ever solo tour, despite touring since the age of 15 with the group The Internet.
Steve Lacy walked on stage in his pink gown and played Apollo XXI end to end. He spent a great portion of the show singing with either a guitar or bass in hand, but ran around with only the microphone for a few bangers. After finishing the album and a couple of his singles, Lacy had run out of music to play. He decided to perform “Dark Red” twice to close out his set.
Dance-punk band !!! (Chk Chk Chk) will headline the 10th annual O+ Kingston festival of art, music and wellness, held October 11-13. !!! will be joined by folk-rocker Elvis Perkins, Dirty Projectors lead singer and guitarist David Longstreth (solo), cabaret-punk band The World/Inferno Friendship Society, cumbia-meets-garage rocker Tall Juan, visionary guitarist Sam Cohen, neo-soul band Lady Moon & The Eclipse and 40 more solo artists, bands and ensembles representing a wide cross-section of musical genres and styles.
Weekend wristbands include entry to all concerts as well as film and video screenings, participatory art workshops, cycling events, Literary SALO+N, classes in yoga, dance, meditation, sound healing, and more. See the full schedule here, subject to change.
Kingston community members who would like to attend, but are deterred by financial resources will be able to pick up free 3-day wristbands from the following O+ Festival partners: Center for Creative Education, Harambee, Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center, Kingston Library, Latinxproject, My Kingston Kids, Radio Kingston, Rise Up Kingston and the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County. Free wristbands are made possible thanks to the generosity of O+ supporters.
Other O+ Kingston music highlights include BODEGA (post-punk indie), The Giraffes (heavy rock), Carrie Nation & The Speakeasy (folk rockabilly), Sound of Ceres (electro dream pop) and Chris Wells and The Silver Spaceship (epic party band from the superfreak behind The Secret City).
Elvis Perkins
In addition, O+ partner Bardavon Presents welcomes “The Mystical Arts Of Tibet” on Sunday, Oct. 13 at UPAC.
The initial music lineup (of which 60 percent is from the mid-Hudson Valley) also includes: Ami Madeleine, Chris Andersen, The Arkhams, Sandy Bell, Brandy, Camp Saint Helene, Carrtoons, Datura Road, Dronechoir, Eat The Cake Band, Greg Farley, The Four Fives, Foster Care, Glockabelle, Zeb Gould, Grover, Hen in the Foxhouse, Jalani Lion, JB!! aka Dirty Moses w/Victory Soul Orchestra and DJ Nate da Great, Julia Kent, DJ Ali’s KinderDisco, Zamy Maa, Olivier Manchon’s Orchestre de Chambre Miniature, Maiko Hata Trio, The Meditation Tapes, Mooskii G. Myyers, Peter Naddeo, The Nightblinders, NOVA ONE, 100ANDZERO, Ramona Lane, The Restless Age, Sledge Wolf, Cheval Sombre, Tiny Blue Ghost, TONUS MAXIMUS, The Wilful Boys and Tyler G. Wood.
Dirty Projectors’ David Longstreth
This year’s O+ Kingston artists have responded to the theme of “X” with cross-disciplinary projects, collaborations and interventions at the intersection of art and life. Films, installations, murals, performances, multi-site experiential projects and workshops invite the viewer to activate artwork with participation. Workshops include artXmedicine, visual artXmusic, artXsocial engagement/activism, artXenvironmental activism, and X organizing principle/pattern
Participating artists and musicians receive complimentary health and wellness care in the Artists’ Clinic and in local dentists’ offices during the festival weekend. O+ calls this exchange: “the art of medicine for the medicine of art.”
The Massry Center at The College of Saint Rose has unvieled their 2019-20 season, featuring the Wooten Brothers, Martha Redbone, Martin Sexton, Dallas Brass, Milk Carton Kids and Kat Edmonson. The acoustically incredible Kathleen McManus Picotte Recital Hall and other concert spaces play host to a full slate of musical performances during the year, including orchestral works, chamber music, Latin jazz, zydeco, and more. The calendar also features several performances by Saint Rose Camerata in October, February and March.
Martha Redbone – Saturday, October 12
Martha Redbone is one of today’s most vital voices in American Roots music. A multi award-winning musician, the charismatic songstress with the magnificent voice is celebrated for her tasty gumbo of roots music embodying the folk and mountain blues sounds of her childhood in the Appalachian hills of Kentucky mixed with the eclectic grit of her teenage years in pre-gentrified Brooklyn. With the power of her gospel singing African-American father’s voice and the determined spirit of her Cherokee/Shawnee/Choctaw mother, Redbone broadens all boundaries of Americana.
Saint Rose Camerata – Saturday, October 26 – George Crumb’s 90th Birthday Celebration
Saint Rose Camerata honors American composer George Crumb for his 90th birthday (b. October 24th, 1989. The concert includes a group of songs from his early period, works for amplified instruments, and the use of extended techniques. Written in 1969 during the Apollo 11 flight, Night of the Four Moons features extracted texts from poems by Federico Garcia Lorca and an unusual ensemble combination of mezzo-soprano with flute, electric cello, banjo, and an array of ethnic percussion instruments. Celestial Mechanics [Makrokosmos IV], a piano masterpiece of twentieth century, will be performed with special lighting and projected images.
Dallas Brass – Saturday, November 9
Founded in Dallas, TX in 1983 by Michael Levine, the Dallas Brass has become one of America’s foremost musical ensembles. The group has established a unique blend of traditional brass instruments with a full complement of drums and percussion, which creates a performing entity of extraordinary range and musical challenges. They play an eclectic mix of classical masterpieces, Dixieland, swing, Broadway, Hollywood and patriotic music, all with their own unique and sometimes very comical twist!
Milk Carton Kids – Saturday, December 7
The Milk Carton Kids are a neo-traditional folk duo from Los Angeles, California. Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan-formed harmonized vocals and tightly entwined guitar lines might conjure shades of the Everly Brothers or Simon & Garfunkel, but their music has a unique American roots-folk flavor. Their witty onstage banter snaps as crisply as their guitar licks. They’re known on the road for their adversarial, Smothers Brothers-evoking comedic banter as well as their virtuosic guitar skills.
Saint Rose Camerata – Saturday, February 15 – Nineteenth and Twentieth-Century Chamber Music
Saint Rose Camerata presents 19th and 20th– century chamber music including a cello sonata by Beethoven (2020 marks the year of his 250th birthday anniversary), works by Dvořák, Martinů, and American composer Juliana Hall.
Wooten Brothers – Sunday, March 1
Victor Wooten, a five-time Grammy Award-winning artist and a founding member of the eclectic group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones,has also been playing with his brothers for over four decades. They are recognized as some of the most innovative musicians in existence and are collectively known as one of the most talented and dynamic band of brothers the world has ever known
Saint Rose Camerata – Saturday, March 28th Season Finale: Saint Rose Composers and Façade by Walton
Season Finale: Saint Rose Camerata presents a new work about Chilean artist Violeta Parra by Emily Pinkerton, Assistant Professor of Music Industry, and a work for voice and guitar by American composer Domenic Argento. The program also includes Façade: An Entertainment by British composer William Walton. The work is a clever and entertaining combination of recited poems by Edith Sitwell and Walton’s instrumental music. Saint Rose Camerata will perform selected movements from the collection of over forty poems, which were assembled between 1922 and 1928.
Kat Edmonson – Saturday, April 25
Kat Edmonson forged her sound, an unusually charming and seamless blend of old and new, performing in small rooms and clubs before touring worldwide and performing with the likes of Lyle Lovett, Chris Isaak, and more. She has emerged as one of the most distinctive performers in contemporary American music. With a sweetly mellifluous soprano echoing Blossom Dearie’s lighter-than-air approach as well as her gift for evocative songwriting, Kat is a rare artist who embodies the spirit of the past while remaining resolutely au courant.
Martin Sexton – Saturday, May 16
Syracuse native Sexton got his start singing in the streets and subways of Boston in the early ’90s. Still fiercely independent and headlining venues from The Fillmore to Carnegie Hall, he has influenced a generation of contemporary artists. His songs have appeared in television series and in numerous films, though it’s his incendiary live show, honest lyrics, and vocal prowess that keep fans coming back for more.
Click here for more info on the Massry Center’s 2019-2020 season.
White Denim blew the proverbial roof off of the new White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, bringing their sweet Austin, Texas rock sound to the East Coast and fans throughout the tri-state area. The two-hour headlining set from the high powered rock outfit never skipped a beat and was virtually non-stop. Night after night, this band displays communal showmanship and a loud lesson for how to make rock and roll work very well in 2019. White Denim presented a two hour clinic is proof that a diversified rock sound played by very talented musicians still deserves a spot in the debate of today’s best contemporary music.
Willem takes the modern languid sounds of Post Malone, Mac Miller and combines it with the mellow tones of WIlco and Neutral Milk Hotel. He hails from Albany but is currently a musical engineering student at Purchase College. His debut EP uses the elements of his previous collaborations with NRV and SIMONEAR (Tomorrow, Mrs. Rebound) and blends them into a moment leaving you wanting more.
“Hit the Floor” was released as a teaser for the EP in the spring: it’s joyful, flirtatious lyrics are combined with a soft but driving beat that ends with the listener yearning for summer. “November” reminds you of rainy, bittersweet days in bed with a partner and recognizing that winter is coming just like the end of a relationship.
The interlude between the tracks provides the emotional space for one to consider the next song title.
“We Could Be Friends” brings about the renewal and inner maturity needed to release the listener from grappling with the previous tracks themes. With “Lately,” Willem’s voice reaches a place unexplored earlier; he takes it down a step and explores a level a loneliness that resonates with the rest of the EP but holds the potential for more to come.
What more is there to say? It’s short but not in a way that punk, grindcore, or any other genre priding itself in brevity could hope to muster. Willem achieves something that many young artists want but rarely earn: writing a debut worth listening to on repeat and being able to do so if you have more than 10 mins to spare–it’s like Reign in Blood for the digital era, but without the physical sensation of flipping a cassette to hear the same good time again.
Central New York songwriters Mike Powell and Chris Merkley will celebrate the connection between craft beer and music this October with their first mini-tour of local breweries, fittingly in their home region, which at one time produced 90% of the hops in the U.S.
Since the passing of the Craft New York Act in 2014, more than 400 licensed breweries have opened across the state. Not only did this act create many new places to sample craft-brewed beers, but it also created almost as many new performance spaces for musicians. Powell and Merkley have chosen four of these breweries for their 4-pack micro tour, dubbed Original Gravity.
In brewing terms, original gravity refers to the specific gravity of the wort prior to fermentation, which is the process that produces the beer. The name of this mini-tour fits perfectly within that theme. The two friends are embarking on the first of what they hope will be a continuing series of brewery stops. This tour will measure the original gravity of this type of endeavor.
They’ll be exploring different perspectives on the idea of craftsmanship, taking a closer look at the similarities between songwriters and brewers while documenting their travels as part of a collaboration with NYSMusic. The folk, blues and Americana-inspired songwriters will make stops in Rome, Penn Yan, Warners, and Pompey between October 10 – 13.
Mike Powell and John Hanus of the Black River provided by press contact person for Woods Fest Music Festival.
Singer-songwriters spend countless years honing their craft and exploring the endless possibilities and nuances of pairing lyrics to music. When these songs finally make it to the microphone, they impact listeners with a wide range of thoughts, feelings, and emotions. In similar ways, a craft brewer can enter into the tradition of brewing beer and spend as many countless years refining their recipes and process to create just the right balance of flavors and notes for that first sip.
The first stop of the tour takes Powell and Merkley to Copper City Brewing Company in Rome for a Thursday, Oct. 10 show. Established in 2016, Copper City is Rome’s first brewery since the 1940s. With 11 beers on tap and a selection of hard ciders and wines hand-selected from the region, Copper City has dedicated itself to bringing brewing back to the community and is proud to be the first local microbrewery in over seven decades. Music starts at 7 p.m. and admission is free.
Mike Powell
The second show of Original Gravity takes the songwriters west to Abandon Brewing in Penn Yan on Friday, Oct. 11. Perched atop the Finger Lakes, Abandon Brewing Company is a geothermal-powered craft brewery located in a reused farmhouse overlooking Keuka Lake. Visitors can enjoy tastings in the taproom, a pint in their beer hall or out on the deck overlooking the grapes, apples and hops of Abandon Acres. Music starts at 8 p.m. and tickets to the show are now available through the Facebook event and through Eventbrite.
For the third show of the tour, Merkley and Powell travel to a brand new brewery in Pompey called Heritage Hill Brewhouse. With farm-to-table dining options and an expansive property that features multiple playgrounds and patios, a pumpkin patch, and numerous gardens, Heritage Hill offers views as far as the Carrier Dome and across nine counties on a clear day. Powell and Merkley are scheduled to perform on their outdoor stage at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12. In the event of inclement weather, music will move indoors in Heritage Hill’s event barn.
The fourth and final show of the micro tour brings the songwriting duo to Warners for a performance at Local 315 Brewing Company. Growing their own hops at Fawn Crossing Hops Farm, and supplementing other ingredients from as many New York State products as possible, Local 315 Brewing has made it a mission to keep it local in the 315. Music starts at 3 p.m. on the 12th and will take place on the outdoor stage weather permitting.
With a vintage voice and a chest full of hauntingly heartfelt songs, prolific storyteller Mike Powell is the underground messenger of blue-collar soul. Each night the lights go up, this pioneering poet lets his guard down and allows the fervently fearless stories to come to life. His comfort behind a microphone and unique brand of atomic folk creates a vibe that warms the room like a long-ago fire burning hot inside a cabin in the woods.
Armed with a pair of homemade wooden boxes, resonator guitar, and a suitcase full of harmonicas, Chris Merkley has performed over a thousand shows from the streets of Paris to venues throughout Europe and across the United States. He has released nine albums with a variety of groups which include the songwriting duo Merkley & Morgan, his high-octane country/blues belting band of globetrotters called The Crooners, and the swampy blues rock trio Digger Jones. In addition to an extensive career of recording and touring, Merkley has composed and produced catalogs of original music for Cinemax and HBO and has had his songs featured in numerous independent films and television broadcasts.
Throughout the duration of Original Gravity, there will be regular updates at NYSMusic featuring blog-style entries to document tales of their tour. Accounts of the shows as well as perspectives on the unique characteristics of each brewery, and their approach to brewing will be covered along with stories from the road. More information on the music of Powell and Merkley can be found on Facebook or by visiting their websites at MikePowell.co and ChrisMerkley.com.
