Erin McKeown will be the first show that starts a new tradition at Caffè Lena this month. Caffè Lena has been proud to promote an inclusive environment and present a diverse range of performers on the stage.
On June 20, Erin’s performance will mark the first of a new monthly pride series where LGBTQ performers will be featured. It will be a safe space for people to hear the stories of members of the LGBTQ community. Sarah Craig, Executive Director of Caffè Lena, is excited to expand Saratoga’s musical horizons by giving these performers a stage. Through her years of collaborating with Saratoga Pride, Sarah has been “blown away by both the turn out and the quality of performances” that have been presented during the Pride Open Mics. The talent and creativity are there, and Caffè Lena wants to give these LGBTQ performers a chance to display it.
Erin McKeown was an excellent pick to start the new series. An out and proud lesbian, Erin has garnered a solid reputation as a performer and activist. Throughout her career, she has released ten albums, the most recent being Mirrors Break Back in 2017. Miss You Like Hell, her first musical, has garnered multiple awards including five Drama Desk Awards. The Wall Street Journal named it the “Best Musical of 2018.”
Future shows in the Pride Series include Jonatha Brooke in July, David and Sophie Buskin in August, and a mystery performer in September that Sarah Craig is particularly excited about. Tickets for this show and all future events in the Pride Series can be purchased at the Caffè Lena website.
Parenthood is rarely extolled in music. It’s hard to find songs that explore the joys and challenges that come with raising kids. On one side of the chasm are chipper children’s tunes by artists like Raffi, and on the other side were songs of lament about missing out on the joys of parenting, like in Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s In The Cradle.” Sarah Eide boldly explores the role of motherhood versus the road not taken in her debut album Dreams on Hold.
The album starts with the upbeat “Big Mover,” a song about watching a child play, and savoring these moments knowing that time, like childhood, is fleeting. It flows nicely into “The Bridge Song.” In an age when the powers that be are talking about building walls to keep people apart, it’s refreshing to hear a song about bridges that connect people.
The more reflective “Journey Song” follows. The lap steel, upright bass, and fiddle play a prominent role in this one. It’s a turning point in the album, heralding in more pensive pieces. It’s not just a lyrical shift, but also a compositional shift. The instrumentation becomes more complex, interweaving tributes to music of the past and fusing it with modern sensibilities. There’s a little boogie woogie here and a sprinkling of jazz there, which pays tribute to Americana and serves as a compass pointing the way for the future of the genre.
The poignant lullaby “Little O” was written by Eide after returning home from tour. It’s a heart-rending song about the emotional cost of being a professional musician – being torn between her personal aspirations and the realities of motherhood. “Dreams on Hold” offers some resolution to the conflict. The jazzy song showcases Eide’s ability to pair a storyline with music as the song builds to a dramatic climax and ends with whimsical curly-cue notes on piano, fiddle, and trumpet.
Like the opening songs, “Shadow” feels like a children’s song but also has a deeper meaning. Eide can’t shake her little shadow, a child who copies everything she does. But childrens’ astute perceptions are reflected back to us like a mirror, and show us things which may not be the most flattering. “Cry Cry Cry” explores the burnout of parenting day in and day out, providing contrast with the upbeat style of New Orleans Jazz.
In “The Journey,” Eide brings all the conflicts of past/present and dreams/realities to resolution through acts of patience, forgiveness, and unconditional love.
Eide takes a lot of chances on this album, exposing her vulnerabilities. Dreams on Hold is a bold musical endeavor exploring the monumental role of adults in shaping future generations. It balances whimsy and gravity, swooping gracefully between the dizzying heights of playful jazz down to the roots of plaintive folk ballads. Even those who haven’t faced the joys and challenges of parenthood will relate to the lyrical themes struggling to balance personal goals with relationships, to capture a fleeting moment in time, and to honor the musical traditions while trying to expand the boundaries.
The production value on the album is high – from the technicality of Eide’s arrangements to the flawless performances by some of Chicago’s well-known contemporary musicians, to the artwork and presentation. The album was self-produced by Eide and recorded in Chicago, prior to Eide’s relocation to Rochester, NY. Engineering was done by Yuri Lysoivanov. It was mixed and mastered by Anthony Gravino (with the exception of “Shadow,” which was mixed by Lysoivanov). Studio musicians include jazz drummer Jon Deitemyer, Shane Jonas of the Low Down Brass Band, Joe Camarillo of The Waco Brothers, and Jess McIntosh who plays fiddle for Al Scorch. The CD comes in a 6-panel case, with artwork by Betony Coons featuring collage images of children, mountains, flowers growing, and musical instruments.
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.
After the Crossgates Mall crowd at Jupiter Hall in Albany dissipated, the dark metal corridors echoed with the growling sounds of screams from beyond.
The Chaos Collective, an upstate live entertainment group, and event manager Joe Vonschinzel, brought the areas darkest, loudest, most theatrical death and black metal bands together for what will, unfortunately, be one of the venue’s last shows.
As you walked to the closed doors and slowly opened them, you could see blue and white light pulsating from the stage. The screams and drums, mixed with wailing deep guitars, made one feel as though they were entering another world, another dimension. The bands put it all out there for the fans, and the fans loved every thunderous moment.
The metal lineup for the night at Jupiter Hall was: Vile Tyrant, Goatmass, Scavengers, Organ Harvest, Faced518. Jupiter Hall will have their last show next weekend, June 14, with Revenge, a non-make up Kiss tribute, Frank Palangi, The Hard Luck Souls, and Wasteland Junction.
Earlier this month, Fever Dolls released their third single, “Mrs. Carver.” Similar to their previous two releases, this song was accompanied by a thematically sound music video. However, it would be a disservice to simply call this visual component a music video, as its narration and storytelling resembles elements of a short film. Just like “Gennifer Flowers” and “Adline,” there are greater cinematic influences at play here that work together with the lyrics to ultimately enhance the listener’s experience.
NYS Music had the pleasure of asking Renn Mulloy and Evan Allis of Fever Dolls questions regarding their creative vision and how visual media has influenced their music.
Sammy Steiner: Who are some of your biggest musical influences? How have they influenced your work?
Evan & Renn: Our biggest influences are people that play no-frills, hook-driven pop music. We love Motown, new wave, and 70’s FM radio, and see ourselves in that tradition. We’re musical populists. We write choruses you can sing with your friends.
SS: What (or who) excites you within the realm of music right now?
E&R: RKS, Lizzo, Kacey Musgraves, Billie Eilish…people that transcend genres and think about their music as a fully immersive experience for their fans. That excites and inspires us. We’re noticing more bands that aren’t afraid to draw from pop music, write big choruses, or make the spectacle an equally important part of the live experience. We feel like there’s a better responsiveness to our type of band than there was a couple of years ago.
SS: Lyrically speaking – do you draw on influences from your personal lives or through the lives of others?
E&R: At first our songs were mostly autobiographical and confessional, but recently I’ve started writing more about made-up people. In general, I think I’m probably a better storyteller than a protagonist, and find that writing songs about fictional characters allows me to write about a wider array of subjects than when I was starting out and only writing about my own love life. Moreover, since we always wanted to be a theatrical band, it feels more in line with our vision to play ballads and story songs.
SS: Do you think the average person’s relationship with music has changed with the rise of visual storytelling? What role has the convergence of visual media had on your creative process and ability to tell a story?
E&R: It definitely seems that for a lot of people hearing a song by itself isn’t enough anymore. Why stimulate one sense when TV stimulates two! Even Spotify now incorporates video into the platforms of their top tier artists, with these slightly ridiculous 20 second loops of animation or video. For the record, this seems to be about as cool as the iTunes equalizer button, but the point is people are excited by the relationship between audio and visuals, and want more music that speaks to them in that way.
Speaking as a member of this generation, I think television is the greatest art form ever invented, and it invades every part of my life and thought process. I constantly find myself reducing complicated life situations to derivative story arcs, and the personalities of people in my life to those of their most similar TV character. It makes living easy. Even when I write songs, I find my brain responds to what I’m writing by concocting scenes from fictional movies that play out in my head over the melodies. For a long time this seemed crazy, but now we try to lean into these associations and embrace the ways in which our band’s music inspires images and non-musical stories for us. We feel like the output makes sense to our audience’s listening experience, and has been more authentic and reflective of the way people in our generation’s brains work.
SS: With an album on the way, what are your goals for the upcoming year?
E&R: We’re sitting on a ton of recorded material that we’d like to release in the next year. The hold up is that I’m not a very capable engineer — but I’m getting better at asking for help and relinquishing control. The goal for the upcoming year, beyond the album, would be to release most or all of what we’re recording right now. We’re especially excited about a collection of songs and videos we’re working on about different criminals throughout American history that we’re calling, Only When Its Dark Out.
Be sure to follow Fever Dolls onFacebook for updates regarding new music.
Sit back, unwind and enjoy the sounds that modern American music was built upon. Stella Hill has created a soft, personal collection peppered with the quintessential sounds of what made Americana music so influential. Listeners will find everything from alt-country rock with a 90s vibe to tasty New-Orleans jazz in their upcoming EP release, available Monday, June 10.
Overall, we have a very diverse EP. It’s somber but also calming and complex. Group founders, and husband and wife, Josh Massicot (keys) and Liz Ristow (violin) write songs inspired by Bob Dylan, Randy Newman, Norah Jones, Jackson Browne and many more. Listeners will find angelic harmonization from the lead vocalists and perfectly balanced, blended instrumentation throughout the entirety of the album. Stella Hill has created a familiar sound and has managed to add a unique flair thanks to an eight-piece orchestra. String sections fill in the gaps and breathes an etherial flavor to a time tested Americana sound. Tracks like “Gold” and “Tupelo” are solid when performed by a three piece band, but really come to life with help from a set of strings.
These tracks aren’t something listeners should pick apart. Something so soft, well produced and blended should be taken at face value. Stella Hill has created a simply pleasant, bitesize atmosphere that just about anyone can enjoy in the right setting. They album drops next week and will be available for download on their Bandcamp page, but you can listen to the single, “Fifteen” right now.
The sun shone across the beautiful woods, and glistened on nearby lakes, surrounding Levon Helm Studios as fans gathered in eager anticipation of Mountain Man. Zephyr, the barn pup, greeted each car at these hallowed grounds. It was peaceful, as the sold out crowd entered one of New York States most treasured venues, last Saturday, June 1.
Zephyr the barn dog, and official greeter.
Singer songwriter from Toronto, Doug Paisley, began the evening with a cozy set of original songs from his new album, Strong Feelings, recorded in his hometown. His beautiful imagery synced brilliantly with intricate guitar work. Paisley also charmed the audience with his storytelling, setting the mood for a very intimate show.
Mountain Man took the stage, surrounding one microphone. Amelia Meath, Alexendra Sauser-Monnig and Erin Sarle all took turns on lead vocals, switching places and positions to find their perfect harmony points. Sarle and Sauser-Monnig also alternated on the guitar for several songs throughout the evening. The performance was stunning and mesmerized the audience. One could hear a pin drop at any point of the evening, excluding a thunderous applause after each song.
The performance felt like you were sitting around a campfire in the woods, or at a laid back house party with best friends. It carried a wonderful weight and elegant presence that left all applauding and wanting more. Each of the three women made everyone feel comfortable and at ease with laid back jokes and stories.
The night before they had actually returned to Bennington, VT where they all met eight years ago and began Mountain Man, during College. Judging from the response they received at Levon Helm Studios and their tour dates quickly selling out, we are certainly lucky that they met all those years ago, and have reunited again.
For Mountain Man tour dates, and to get their new album ‘Magic Ship’ check HERE.
For upcoming shows at Levon Helm Studios follow this link HERE.
Grenadian-Canadian banjo singer and vocalist, Kaia Kater, returned to Caffe Lena on Thursday, June 6 to promote her folk album, Grenades. The 2018 album highlights Kater’s lush, tenor voice to tell the story of her father’s immigration from Grenada after the US invasion in 1983. The talented Kater, whose velvety voice and traditional use of folk tells a story of social injustice, inspired a small group of fans to leave their home sofas. They sat on Lena’s comfy couches for the night to hear songs laced with themes exposing racism and ethnocentrism, told with raw honesty and soothing sound.
Accompanied by Dan Riccione on electric guitar and vocals, and Andrew Ryan on upright bass and vocals, Kater informally took the stage at the historic Caffe Lena with a brief “hi” before launching into her song “St. Elizabeth.” The small crowd of approximately 40 audience members quieted quickly as she plucked her banjo, creating a soul soothing sound. And just like that, Kater had the house’s full attention.
The 25-year-old Kater demonstrated wit and dry humor when speaking of herself as “much older and wiser now,” when contrasted to her tour approximately three years ago that brought her to Saratoga. Her current tour was intended to showcase the new album Grenada, an album she envisioned would help her move forward “by looking at the past.” But first, she revisited “The Heavenly Track,” an earlier piece that used vocal harmonies to raise the audience’s spirit and sense of hope
Kater played newsreels and interviews with her father sporadically in between the songs inspired by his immigration story, starting with the excitement of her father Dino’s memory of the peaceful revolution that brought Maurice Bishop to power in 1979. Her responsive songs captured the hopeful energy of a time with major chords and somewhat naïve lyrics representing a time in Grenadian history, that shifted despair to hope for many. “Meridian Ground” and “Canyon Land” both paired faster moving sections of the songs with slower, drawn out choruses, emphasizing both the uncertainty and the hope of the era.
Kater returned to a previous favorite next with “Nine Pin,” juxtaposing satisfying harmonies once again with desperate lyrics about loss of self. Shortly after, as if reading the audience’s emotional state, Kater returned to the Grenada theme, playing a news reel about how the National Women’s Organization in the early 1980s were providing education and social service support to the young. The trio, accompanied only by the bass, sang a folk-esque song in French, sounding like children’s voices. Kater smiled, admitting she liked singing that song. The audience had too, resting back a bit more, and breathing easier.
“Starry Day” and “New Colossus” finished the first set. Kater, just like those in folk before her, had a reason to tell her stories and was pleased to share them with the focused audience. She shared that “New Colossus” was inspired by the famed Emma Lazarus poem printed on the Statue of Liberty. “I always loved the Statue of Liberty. Here’s this huge woman, holding a torch, taking up space.” She suggested the statue was a reminder of how “bad-ass” women can be, and her song: a reminder to women to take up the life long work to be bigger and take up space. The inclusion of the statue, often a sign of hope for immigrants, brought the audience back to the reminder that the overarching story of the night belonged truly to immigration.
After a longer break of thirty minutes, the trio returned for a second set. “Everything is free” was her opener, a song by Gillian Welch and David Rollings. Featuring both guitar and bass solos, the group’s energy seemed to crescendo into the second song, “Little Sorrow,” written by Kater’s aunt, Julia Kater. The bass’ long and slow bow strokes, combined with Kater’s authentically sorrowful voice, translated the meaning of the song sung in French, even for non-French speakers.
And from there, the group transitioned back to Grenada with perhaps one of the most powerful pieces of the night: “Grenade.” Ronald Reagan sent a war to Grenada in 1983 with over 18,000 troops landing on the small island. Punished for their successful use of African culture and social-economic successes based in community efforts, supporters of Maurice Bishop on the island found themselves with nowhere to hide. The Reagan recording expressed Grenada’s successes were a threat somehow to Americans; he demanded its citizens to “act like the hemisphere” in which they live rather than embrace African cultures or face invasion. And with that, the US brought war to Grenada.
The song’s minor key shadowed the sadness felt in all that was lost, including Dino’s dreams of serving his community as a lawyer. The song described the dogs of war marching into the small island and the sense of powerlessness felt by the citizens there: “You can shout at the mountain / but they’ve already crowned him.”
It reflected that there was little resistance to the US’s government of choice for Grenada. “We always seem to get played” was a heart -breaking reminder of how America’s ethnocentric policies were more than rhetoric; implemented in developing countries around the world to enforce American values. These policies stole the very hopes and dreams of entire countries, and led us to our current crisis within the world as well.
Kater didn’t let the audience stay with this heartbreak, though. She told a light -hearted story about a Swedish vampire movie that inspired the next song, “The Right One.” Watching the bass player look at Kater, it wasn’t hard to imagine that he believed she is absolutely his right one. Gazing at her in a trance, the musician’s admiration for his colleague was tremendously moving and joyful. Riccione and Ryan playfully made ‘scary movie’ music as she tried to playfully explain her song, and even Kater started to laugh at their antics.
The ensemble’s friendship is a part of its charm. From there, they ran through a number of other songs, bouncing between moods, like a rapidly cycling manic-depressive. “Everly” reflected on falling apart, while “Little Pink” was a traditional song from West Virginia ,demonstrating Kater’s vocal range.
Kater humbly thanked the audience repeatedly, and expressed enjoyment in playing at the historic Lena. She finished the night with her father’s story of resiliency. He was able to escape Grenada through a student program chosen to tour Quebec to raise empathy and awareness of the plight of those in developing countries. Encouraged by his grandmother, Kater’s father let go of his dream to work in the public sector in Grenada and pursue his new life in Canada. “Poets be buried” was a moving testimony to his struggles and courage.
Kater generously returned for an encore performance of “Trouble in Mind,” a bluesy folk song with a heavy bass line and smooth guitar. She let go of her banjo and crooned about the ups and downs of life. “Sometimes I feel like living, sometimes I feel like dying,” she sang.
Kater began the night by sharing her belief that she had to look at her past in order to move forward, and her album Grenade looks at Grenada’s past with honesty that is painful at times. It is also inspiring, hopeful, and at the end of the concert, mindful, that being human includes sorrow alongside joy. Kater certainly appears ready now to move forward, fully aware of her family’s past and using the tradition of folk’s raw honesty to remind listeners that ugliness juxtaposed with great beauty offers hope.
This past weekend, Randall’s Island played host to the 2019 Governors Ball Music Festival. The festival, in its ninth year, featured many of the hottest musical acts of today with performances by Tyler the Creator, Florence and The Machine, Nas, Lily Allen, Lil Wayne, The 1975 and many more of today’s most popular musical acts. An amazing first two days set the stage for a full final day of music, with the home town favorites The Strokes closing out the 2019 edition of the New York City music festival. But Mother Nature had other plans as impending inclement weather forced a delayed gate opening and, eventually, thunderstorms forced the cancelation of the rest of the day including The Strokes’ headlining set.
A full statement from festival organizers can be found here.
