NYS Music 20​19

Category: News

  • LOCKN’ Festival Releases 2019 Lineup

    Located at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Arrington, Virginia, Infinity Downs and Oak Ridge Farm will once again be the venue for LOCKN‘ in 2019, the four-day camping festival.

    Created in 2013 and now an annual event, LOCKN’ is promised to be one of the summer’s most exciting experiences.

    Starting on Aug. 22 and finishing up on Aug. 25, several unique headline collaborations are scheduled for the event, beginning with the Trey Anastasio Band featuring Derek Trucks on Aug. 23, Tedeschi Trucks Band featuring Trey Anastasio on Aug. 24, and concluding with Bob Weir & Wolf Bros featuring Susan Tedeschi on Aug. 25.

    In addition to daytime performances, the festival has added a more intimate touch this year: a rare performance by Soulive as well as sets by Circles Around The Sun and Galactic in the intimate Garcia’s Forest setting. These performances will be taking place in the evening following early shows by Fruition, The Lil Smokies, and Town Mountain.

    Peter Shapiro, co-founder of the festival, hinted at his excitement for the artists yet to be revealed. He said, “By announcing the full lineup now we wanted to give fans a good idea of what to expect, but there’s definitely a surprise or two still coming.”

    LOCKN’ is offering a Three-Day Weekend Pass in addition to the traditional Four-Day Festival Pass. This option gives fans with tighter schedules the opportunity to enjoy all the bands performing at the festival for a lower price. Single-Day Passes are also available.

    Tickets are available now through the LOCKN’ website.

    THURSDAY, AUGUST 22
    Joe Russo’s Almost Dead
    Gary Clark Jr.
    Khruangbin
    Chris Robinson Brotherhood,
    Andy Frasco & The U.N.
    Jerry Party

    FRIDAY, AUGUST 23
    Trey Anastasio Band Feat. Derek Trucks
    The Revivalists
    Old Crow Medicine Show
    Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
    Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
    Melvin Seals & JGB
    Moonalice w/The Chambers Brothers
    Greg Humphrey’s Electric Trio

    SATURDAY, AUGUST 24
    Tedeschi Trucks Band Feat. Trey Anastasio
    Vulfpeck
    Oteil & Friends feat. Bob Weir, Devon Allman, Duane Betts and more
    Twiddle
    Preservation Hall Jazz Band
    The Allman Betts Band
    Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles
    Liz Cooper & The Stampede

    SUNDAY, AUGUST 25
    Bob Weir and Wolf Bros. Feat. Susan Tedeschi
    Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
    moe.
    St. Paul & The Broken Bones
    Steel Pulse
    Nahko and Medicine For The People
    Soul Rebels Brass Band
    Deva Mahal
    Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel

    GARCIA’S FOREST: EARLY SHOWS
    Fruition
    The Lil Smokies
    Town Mountain

    GARCIA’S FOREST: LATE SHOWS
    Circles Around The Sun
    Galactic
    Soulive

    SVIP LOUNGE
    Bob Weir & Wolf Bros.
    David Shaw (The Revivalists)
    Mihali (Twiddle)

  • Hearing Aide: The New Motif ‘The Reciprocal Boogie’

    The Reciprocal Boogie, the debut album from Massachusetts four-piece The New Motif, is an impressive survey of the band’s eclectic sound. The roots are rock, but different tracks run jazzier or more psychedelic, funkier or more spacey. Produced by Soulive’s drummer, Alan Evans, the album showcases the band’s rich textures and compositional prowess.

    The album’s first track, “Manifest,” is microcosmic of the whole album: it features shifts in style and tempo, is at times led by a funky bass line from Dan Kelly, at other times with a catchy guitar riff from Dennis Christiano, sometimes the organ, sometimes the synthesizer, always high-octane drumming. There are vocals, but the song is undeniably led by the instruments. Checking in at nearly six and a half minutes, it’s a bold opening statement to a freshman album devoid of any filler tracks.

    While “Manifest” feels frenetic, The New Motif follows it up with a mellower “City Cituation.” Cory Schechtman swaps out the keyboards for a saxophone, a pleasant surprise as the track commences. Paired with the following song, “Crooooshtown,” the songs are a smooth, jazzy reprieve from the relative tumult of “Manifest.”

    In total, there are nine tracks, each between four and eight minutes long. About half are instrumentals and half feature vocals; Schechtman plays the saxophone for half the songs and spends the other half on keyboards. Unsurprisingly of an album produced by Alan Evans, drummer Terrence Kelleher is extremely active throughout.

    The heart of the titular track represents the album well. Guitarist Dennis Christiano trades licks with Schechtman on the saxophone while Ball and Kelly, even if not as prominent with the rhythms, are relentless, lending to the full sound.

    The sixth track, “Flown,” is the first where the vocals feel like the central component. The song has a reggae tone, unique to the album, and allows Christiano to show off with a high-soaring solo. The ensuing “Yasss!!” is dark and exploratory yet upbeat and features all band members finding their ways into dynamic grooves. At just over eight minutes long, the track is an instrumental odyssey. The following and penultimate song, “Whatever’s Clever,” features the catchiest vocals.

    Closing track “Late Cretaceous” once again puts The New Motif’s rich sound on full display; one needs to crank the volume dial to get the full flavor of all the layers. After multiple listens to The Reciprocal Boogie, something different has caught my ear each time: a guitar riff here or a bass line there. Each time after listening, I’ve found myself going back and listening straight through again

    The New Motif is currently touring to promote The Reciprocal Boogie and have multiple shows scheduled in New York. The full tour schedule can be found here.

    Key Tracks: Manifest, Yasss!!, Late Cretaceous

  • Rochester’s Steve Gadd Brings Home First Grammy

    Legendary musician Steve Gadd has performed on many Grammy-winning albums, but this year he was awarded the first one for one of his own projects. The Steve Gadd Band’s self-titled album won Best Instrumental Album. The modern jazz band includes Steve Gadd on drums, Walt Fowler on trumpet and flugelhorn, Kevin Hays on keyboard, Jimmy Johnson on bass, and Michael Landau on guitar. 

    Steve Gadd is hailed as one of the most accomplished and skilled drummers of his generation. Born in the suburbs of Rochester, Gadd took up drums when he was seven years old. When he was 11, he sat in with Dizzy Gillespie, launching a lifetime of work with some of the greatest artists of our time. He has performed in studio and on tour with iconic artists such as Paul Simon, James Taylor, and Eric Clapton. He continues to make music in conjunction with other artists and with the Steve Gadd Band. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1984, and the Rochester Music Hall of Fame in 2018.

    Gadd will be touring with Dave Matthews in March and James Taylor later this spring. Steve Gadd Band is on the bill for the Rochester International Jazz Festival and Montreal Jazz Festival. They’re also booked for a three-night stand at Iridium in NYC in June.

  • Zac Brown Band Announces 2019 Tour Dates With Possible New Album

    It seems that the Zac Brown Band won’t be slowing down anytime soon with the announcement of their 2019 The Owl Tour, with 36 dates starting this spring and going through to the fall.

    Zac Brown Band 2019 tour

    Opening for the band will be Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real with Caroline Jones joining the group for nine dates on the tour. Along with the tour announcement, the band is hinting at a brand new album. Both the tour and album will be inspired by the mythology and mystery surrounded by the great horned owl.

    Tickets for most of the dates go on sale Feb. 8, with tickets to the Boston and Dallas shows going on sale Feb. 15.

    Zac Brown Band 2019 tour

    May 25 — Legends Day – Indianapolis 500 – Indianapolis, Ind.

    June 7-8 — Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion *- Gilford, N.H.

    June 9 —St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview *- Syracuse, N.Y.

    June 14 — Blossom Music Center- Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

    June 15 —Darien Lake Performing Arts Center- Darien Center, N.Y.

    June 21 — Bethel Woods Center for the Arts + – Bethel, N.Y.

    June 22-23 – P.N.C. Bank Arts Center + – Holmdel, N.J.

    June 29 — KeyBank Pavilion – Holmdel, N.J.

    June 29 — Hollywood Casino Amphitheater- Tinley Park, Ill.

    June 30 — Milwaukee Summerfest- Milwaukee, Wisc.

    July 12 — Calgary Stampede – Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    July 21 — Faster Horses Festival – Brooklyn, Mich.

    July 24 — California Mid-State Fair – Paso Robles, Calif

    July 25-26 — Five Point Amphitheater- Irvine, Calif.

    Aug. 9 —Coors Field * + – Denver, Colo.

    Aug. 11 — Iowa State Fairgrounds + – Des Moines, Iowa

    Aug. 23 — Nikon at Jones Beach Theater + – Wantagh, N.Y.

    Aug. 24 — Nikon at Jones Beach Theater + – Wantagh, N.Y.

    Aug. 25 — Jiffy Lube Live + – Bristow, Va.

    Aug. 29 — Hershey Park Stadium * – Hershey, Pa.

    Aug. 30 — Saratoga Performing Arts Center *- Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

    Aug. 31 — Fenway Park *- Boston, Mass.

    Sept. 6 — BB&T Pavilion *- Camden, N.J.

    Sept. 7 —BB&T Pavilion *- Camden, N.J.

    Sept. 8 — XFINITY Theatre *- Hartford, Ct.

    Sept. 19 — North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre * – Chula Vista, Calif.

    Sept. 20 — Shoreline Amphitheater + – Mountain View, Calif.

    Oct. 17 — Daily’s Place – Jacksonville, Fla.

    Oct. 18 — Coral Sky Amphitheatre * – West Palm Beach, Fla.

    Oct. 19 —Coral Sky Amphitheatre *- West Palm Beach, Fla.

    Oct. 20 — MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre * – Tampa, Fla.

    Oct. 25 — The Walmart Amp. * – Rogers, Ark.

    Oct. 26 —The Dos Equis Pavilion * – Dallas, Texas

    * with Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real
    + with Caroline Jones

  • 2019 SAMMY Hall of Fame Class and Nominees Announced, Lou Reed to Receive Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award

    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.

    2019 sammy
    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.

    2019 sammy
    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.

    2019 sammy
    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

    Ginbucket, On Ice

    Count Blastula, Jive Honey

    Sundrop Rise, Family Tree

    The Lightkeepers, Talking Man’s Blues

    Best Singer/Songwriter

    Sydney Irving, The Halfmoon Sessions

    Jess Novak, Fear is the Cage. Love is the Key.

    Darryl Rahn, Making Strangers

    Rhiannon Payne, Folklore

    Stephen Douglas Wolfe, Quixotic Symphony

    Best Blues

    Neil Minet & the Night Flyers, Shades of Blue

    Tas Cru, Memphis Song

    Steven D Odum, Steve Odum Plays His Blues

    Ron Spencer Band, Into the Blue

    Cloutier, Thunder N Lightning

    Best R & B

    The Ripcords, Live at Subcat Studios

    Irv Lyons, Jr., Sisters & Brothers

    Jaquiel THEVOICE, The Natural Project

    Apollo XXIII, Borderline

    Best Country

    Follow the Muse, American Days

    Lonnie Park, Stories of the Lost and Found

    Steven Cali, American Farmer

    The Moonshine River Band, Bad Habit

    Best Jazz

    Bob Holz, Silverthorne

    Byron ‘Kidd’ Cage, Platinum Healing Glove

  • 2019 BRIC House Sessions

    BRIC House Sessions is back for another year with its Thursday night concert series. BRIC House has featured world-class artists that reflect the diversity within Brooklyn. Celebrating 40 years of pioneering the arts and media in NYC as well as one of the leading presenters free cultural programming in Brooklyn. The BRIC organization presents and incubates work by artists and media-makers that reflects New York’s diversity and reaches hundreds of thousands of people each year.

    With BRIC House being its main venue, it houses a public media center, a major contemporary art exhibition space, two performance spaces, a glass walled TV studio and work spaces for artists. It also is the space for the Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival in Prospect Park and has BRIC TV, radio and Brooklyn Free Speech media. It’s lead sponsor and supporter is the innovative entertainment and retail destination company City Point, which is 1.8 million square feet of retail, residential, office and entertainment complex at the epicenter of Downtown Brooklyn.

    So far this year headlining artists Son Little with special guest singer-songwriter Melissa Laveaux and guitarist Christopher Paul Stelling performing in Fort Greene on Feb. 28. Then on March 7 they have the Electro Arabic act 47SOUL who party with a message, with the female fronted, neo-beat deconstructionist Underground System to open. You can check out other artists performing on their website. Tickets can be purchased online at BRICartsmedia.org.

  • Idan Raichel Releases New Album, Dates

    Sixteen years after his Ethiopian, global pop blend “Bo’ee” jump started his career, Israeli artist Idan Raichel has released an album entitled And If You Will Come To Me. The collaboration represents Raichel’s newest phase in personal growth following a period of intimate performances either solo or in collaboration with a small ensemble.

    Idan RaichelPromising to be the most impactful project of his career, the album includes special guests from Japan, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Cuba and India. The album also features songs with African guitarist Bombino, Grammy nominee Danay Suarez, Israeli stars Berry Sakharof and Zehava Ben, and a new studio track reunited with his roots, the Idan Raichel Project.

    “Ve’Eem Tavo’ee Elay,” the title track, in Hebrew, on And If You Will Come To Me, rapidly became one of Raichel’s most successful songs in Israel. Over 20 million streams have been recorded on YouTube alone, and the singles from the album have nearly 40 million plays.

    Over the years, Idan has become an ambassador representing a world of hope in which artistic collaboration breaks down barriers between people of different backgrounds and beliefs.

    Raichel will be supporting his album release with four arena shows in Tel Aviv followed by a lengthy international tour.

    TOUR DATES AND VENUES:

    Feb. 18- Kesselhaus – Berlin, DE
    March 1- Blue Note – Milan, IT
    March 2- Centro Culturale Candiani – Venice, IT
    March 3- Melkweg – Amsterdam, NL
    March 4- MOODS – Zurich, CH
    March 6 & 7- New Morning – Paris, FR
    March 9 – Porgy & Bess – Vienna, AT
    March 16 – City Winery – Washington DC
    March 17 – City Winery – New York, NY
    March 19 – City Winery – Boston, MA
    March 21 – City Winery – Atlanta, GA
    March 23 – City Winery – Chicago, IL
    March 24 – Merage JCC – Irvine, CA

    And If You Will Come To Me is now available to purchase and stream on major digital platforms such as Itunes, Amazon, and Cumbancha.

    For updates & details visit his website.

  • Black Suit Youth release fourth full length album ‘False South’

    Black Suit Youth has played sold-out theaters with bands such as Story of the Year and Alien Ant Farm, and their newest CD was recorded in Atlanta by Peter Catalano, and listeners will immediately hear that “False South” is a terrific, high-energy rock album.

    “False South” features blistering lead guitar work from Long Island’s Fed Canelos, heavy bottom end bass from Long Island’s Juan Orellana, hard hitting drums from New York City’s Robert Abrams, and rhythm guitar and lead vocals from Bryan Maher. Black Suit Youth plays an upbeat blend of hard rock, alternative, punk, and indie with an eye for arrangement and hooks.

    Black Suit Youth False South

    Black Suit Youth formed in 2004, however this line-up is a rebirth of the band and has been together for about two years.

    According to the band, their goal is to spread their music to as many rock fans as possible, whether it’s on stage in front of a thousand people or in smaller venues, one person at a time. You can catch Black Suit Youth live this month January 24th at Amityville Music Hall and January 26th at The Cobra Club in Brooklyn.

    Check out their Facebook page and Bandcamp and look for additional Tri-State Area shows this winter as well as an East Coast/Midwest Tour in the spring.

    This article was originally published by Under the Radar – Covering the Long Island Music Scene and appears as a special to NYS Music. Under the Radar and NYS Music work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene across Long Island. For more, visit BreslauBombers.com.

  • Sirius XM to acquire Pandora

    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.

    Sirius XM Pandora

    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)

  • John Mayer Announces Solo Tour, Kicks off in Albany

    Grammy Award winner, John Mayer, announced the dates for his upcoming North American tour Monday. The tour will begin once Mayer finishes his duties with Dead & Company this summer.

    John Mayer soloBeginning on July 19 at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY, Mayer will perform at 27 other venues, including Madison Square Garden, NY on July 25 and 26.

    Each North American concert will auction off two pairs of front row tickets that will allow fans to experience a meet and greet prior to the start of the show. The proceeds from the tickets will go towards the Back To You fund: an organization that donates money to causes such as healthcare, education, and charities related to talent development.

    Tickets to Mayer’s tour will be on sale through Ticketmaster beginning Feb. 1 at noon. Presale tickets are available Jan. 29 at 10 a.m.

    Furthermore, American Express card holders may begin purchasing tickets on Jan. 29 through Jan. 31.

    Tour Dates:

    July 19 – Times Union Center – Albany, NY
    July 29 – Dunkin’ Donuts Center – Providence, RI
    July 22 – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA
    July 23 – Capital One Arena – Washington D.C.
    July 25 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
    July 26 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
    July 28 – PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh, PA
    July 30 – Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON
    Aug. 2 – Little Caesars Arena – Detroit, MI
    Aug. 3 – Schottenstein Center – Columbus, OH
    Aug. 5 – Xcel Energy Center – St. Paul, MN
    Aug. 6 – Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, WI
    Aug. 8 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
    Aug. 9 – Spectrum Center – Charlotte, NC
    Aug. 11 – State Farm Arena – Atlanta, GA
    Aug. 12 – Bankers Life Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, IN
    Aug. 14 – United Center – Chicago, IL
    Aug. 31 – Snomass Mountain – Snowmass Village, CO
    Sep. 2 – Sprint Center – Kansas City, MO
    Sep. 3 – Engterprise Center – St. Louis, MO
    Sep. 5 – American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
    Sep. 7 – AT&T Center – San Antonio, TX
    Sep. 8 – Toyota Center – Houston, TX
    Sep. 10 – Talking Stick Resort Arena – Phoenix, AZ
    Sep. 11 – Viejas Arena – San Diego, CA
    Sep. 13 – The Forum – Inglewood, CA
    Sep. 14 – The Forum – Inglewood, CA