Every third Thursday of the month, starting September 19, Buffalo is going to be getting funky at MFDF Funk Nights at Nietzche’s, presented by NYS Music.
Guitarist Matt Fantini of Space Junk and keyboardist Donny Frauenhofer of Intrepid Travelers, DF3, & THE TRUTH will be your hosts, bringing in a rotating cast of local, regional, and national artists each month for a night of improvised heavy funk. This month will feature John Fohl from Intrepid Travelers/Big Martha on drums, James Benders from grüvology/DF3 on bass, and Ellen Pieroni from Folkfaces/THE TRUTH on saxophone.
Admission is $5 at the door, and the events are 21and over unless accompanied by a guardian. Upcoming dates for MFDF Funk Night are Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19.
Till The Earth will be performing live at Chatham Brewing on Friday September 6 at 9:00PM. The five piece rock outfit has been creating and performing music around the Capital District since 2017 and is primarily comprised of former members of the now de-funk Bohemian Slacker and Conehead Buddha.
Based primarily in Columbia County, the band features: Tom Williams (bass, guitar, vocals), Seth Falon (guitar, vocals), Scott Basil (guitar, bass, vocals), Eugene Datri (percussion, vocals) and Jack Darraq (saxophone, bass clarinet, vocals). All veteran players of the music scene in Columbia and Greene County, Till The Earth bring a vast collective knowledge to the stage that only performing live can provide.
Till The Earth brings a jam band sensibility to their sets and have been featured regularly at the Chatham Brewery for past year or so, developing a contingent of loyal fans that grow every time they perform. Their performances primarily focuses on a variety of original works that the players have penned over the span of their musical careers, but also feature covers by bands such as The Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Neil Young and more!
After failing to secure venues in New York State, where the original Woodstock was held, officials sought to move the whole thing to the venerable Merriweather Post Pavilion the weekend of Aug. 16-18. That event has now been canceled.
Following news of another venue change, artists originally slated to perform began announcing that they would not be participating. John Fogerty was the first to withdraw. A statement from the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman’s camp, on Thursday, said, “John Fogerty knows where he will be for the anniversary weekend of Woodstock. At only one site… at the original one – the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.”
This announcement was quickly followed by similar statements from Jay-Z, Dead & Co. On Monday Miley Cyrus, the Raconteurs, the Lumineers, John Sebastian, Santana, and Country Joe McDonald followed suit.
In what was supposed to have been a free ticketed event being staged as a fundraiser for HeadCount and global warming causes, another wrench in the works was the previously scheduled Smashing Pumpkins and Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds show already scheduled to take place at Merriweather on the 17th, smack dab in the middle of what was supposed to be a three-day Woodstock festival.
On Wednesday, organizers officially declared the event dead, stating:
“We are saddened that a series of unforeseen setbacks has made it impossible to put on the Festival we imagined with the great line-up we had booked and the social engagement we were anticipating, said Michael Lang, co-founder of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival. “When we lost the Glen and then Vernon Downs we looked for a way to do some good rather than just cancel. We formed a collaboration with HeadCount to do a smaller event at the Merriweather Pavilion to raise funds for them to get out the vote and for certain NGOs involved in fighting climate change. We released all the talent so any involvement on their part would be voluntary. Due to conflicting radius issues in the DC area many acts were unable to participate and others passed for their own reasons. I would like to encourage artists and agents, who all have been fully paid, to donate 10% of their fees to HeadCount or causes of their choice in the spirit of peace. Woodstock remains committed to social change and will continue to be active in support of HeadCount’s critical mission to get out the vote before the next election. We thank the artists, fans and partners who stood by us even in the face of adversity. My thoughts turn to Bethel and its celebration of our 50th Anniversary to reinforce the values of compassion, human dignity, and the beauty of our differences embraced by Woodstock”
Is this the end of Woodstock 50? A statement from Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P., which owns the 9:30 Club in Washington and manages Merriweather, suggests that there may still be something in the works, “Hopefully, with plenty of time to prepare, Merriweather will become the site of a future festival that captures the original vibe. A lot of people clearly wanted it to happen.”
All Time Low announced in a tweet last week that they will be joining Blink-182 for the rescheduled Columbus, OH show of their ‘Enema of the State’ tour on September 22. Blink-182 and Lil Wayne have been on tour together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Blink’s beloved Enema of the State album. It was supposed to kick off last month in Columbus, but it had to be delayed due to production issues. For pop-punk fans, it looks like it was worth the wait.
Back in January, Blink-182 vocalist/ bassist Mark Hoppus and All Time Low frontman Alex Gaskarth joined forces to debut their new project, Simple Creatures. The duo released their first EP ‘Strange Love’ back in March, listen to it on Spotify here.
According to Lil Wayne’s website, he will not be on the tour for Columbus date in September, so fans will get a full night of pop-punk with All Time Low, Neck Deep, and Blink-182. Tickets for the remaining shows, (listed below) including the All Time Low date, are on sale now.
July 19 – New York, NY – Good Morning America July 20 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre July 21 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion July 23 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion July 25 – West Palm Beach – Coral Sky Amphitheatre July 26 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre July 27 – Atlanta, GA – Cellaris Amphitheatre at Lakewood July 29 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place July 31 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
August 1 – Austin, TX – Austin360 Amphitheater August 2 – Dallas, TX – The Dos Equis Pavilion August 4 – El Paso, TX – Don Haskins Center * August 5 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion August 7 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre August 8 – Los Angles, CA – The Forum August 9 – San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands ^ August 27 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre August 30 – Portland, OR – Sunlight Supply Amphitheater August 31 – Seattle, WA – White River Amphitheatre
September 2 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre September 4 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center September 6 – Wichita, KS – Hartman Arena * September 7 – Council Bluffs, IA – Stir Cove * September 8 – Kansas City, MO – Providence Medical Center Amphitheater September 10 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre September 12 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center September 14 – St. Loius, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre September 16 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center September 18 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion September 20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center September 22 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena $ October 11 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock ^
* without Lil Wayne ^ blink-182 festival date $ with All Time Low
Pink Talking Fish just announced their 2019 fall tour which includes festivals, headlining at premier venues, multiple night runs, and a variety of concept shows including the debut of a PTF Kids show. Pink Talking Fish perfectly fuses the sounds of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish, creating a fresh and exciting experience for fans. The band features Eric Gould on bass, Richard James on keyboards, Zack Burwick on drums and Cal Kehoe on guitar.
Fall tour kicks off Labor Day Weekend on the beach at Ocean Mist in Rhode Island, before other stops like the Umphrey’s McGee after-party in Asbury Park, NJ and Lake George for the Adirondack Music Festival. The band will close out their festival season at the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in New Brunswick, Canada. Throughout October, Pink Talking Fish will stay on the East Coast with shows in Washington DC, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and a stop at Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo, NY on October 24. The show in DC will be a special ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ concept where the band will perform the classic album intertwined with Talking Heads and Phish in between the album cuts. The Halloween show, held at The National in Richmond, VA, will create a ‘PTF is Bowie’ experience featuring a fusion of music from Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, Phish, and David Bowie.
November starts off with a three-night run at Sweetwater Music Hall in California, each day will feature a different theme. On Friday November 1, PTF will perform their ‘Animals’ concept, combining Talking Heads and Phish with Pink Floyd’s Animals album, and Saturday night will see a West Coast twist on the band’s ‘PTF is Bowie’ concept. Sunday afternoon, the band will be putting a very special ‘Pink Talking Fish (4 Kids)’ show that will be an interactive experience the whole family can enjoy. Throughout December, PTF will be making stops at Montage Music Hall in Rochester, NY and Beachland Ballroom & Tavern in Columbus, OH before going out to Colorado to close out the tour, and then coming back east to Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA for New Year’s Eve. See the full list of upcoming shows below.
For more information and tickets, check out the PTF website.
SUMMER TOUR:
July 19 – Bath, NH – Jerry Jam
July 20 – Patchogue, NY – Great South Bay Music Festival
July 24 – Middletown, NY – Orange County Fair
August 2 – Hartford, CT – Infinity Hall
August 3 – Waitsfield, VT – Bear North on Sugarbush Mountain
August 8 – Norwick, NY – NBT Bank Free Thursday Concert Series
August 16 – Long Beach Island, NJ – Bird & Betty’s
August 17 – Bethel, NY – Yasgur’s Woodstock 50th Anniversary Reunion on Yasgur’s Farm
FALL TOUR:
August 29 – Kingston, RI – Ocean Mist
August 30 – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar for Umphrey’s McGee AfterParty
August 31 – Mason, NH – Marty’s Summer Concert Series
September 1 – Lake George, NY – Adirondack Independence Music Festival
September 13 – Greenfield, MA – Wormtown Music Festival
September 14 – Fredericton, NB Canada – Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival
September 20 – Fairfield, CT – The Warehouse at FTC
September 28 – Hardwick, MA – MTG Pheno Cup Music & Arts Fest
October 11 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall
October 13 – Washington DC – The Hamilton
October 14 – Roanoke, VA – 5 Points Music Sanctuary
October 16 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East
October 17 – Atlanta, GA – The Loft
October 18 – Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall
October 19 – Savannah, GA – Southbound Brewing Company
October 20 – Charlotte, NC – The Neighborhood Theatre
October 24 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Iron Works
October 25 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
October 26 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Rex Theater
October 31 – Richmond, VA – The National
November 1 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall
November 2 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall
November 3 – Mill Valley, CA – Sweetwater Music Hall – PinkTalking Fish (4 Kids)
November 13 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
November 14 – Charleston, SC – Pour House
November 15 – Tampa, FL – The Orpheum wsg Runaway Gin
November 16 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live wsg Runaway Gin
Thursday July 18 will be the first of the “Thursdays on the Village Green”, a free concert series in Hamilton, NY featuring Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People. “Thursdays on the Village Green” is a family-friendly event, with activities hosted by the Hamilton Public Library every week starting at 5:30 p.m., and then music starting at 7:00 p.m..
Kicking off the series’ music lineup this week is groove-soul powerhouse Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People. The band’s groovy sound combined with Ponder’s powerful voice creates a beautiful and emotional experience for concert-goers. Ponder, a Rochester, NY native, will undoubtedly give you goose-bumps. Soultracks.com said, “Ponder’s vocals combine the spirit of the church with the speak-truth- to-power assertiveness of a movement leader.”
Beau Fleuve Music and Arts Festival returns for its third year on Sunday August 25 at Silo City in Buffalo for the “Ultimate Sunday Funday.” The festival was created to celebrate the rich history of Buffalo’s art scene and showcase the resurgence of Buffalo art in all forms. For one day only, festival-goers will experience an immersive multi-cultural experience filled with music, food, and art installations.
The festival features three performance stages with more than 30 performers, culture exhibits, a silent disco, a beer-wine garden, and family fun activities that attendees of all ages can enjoy. Located at the heart of the festival, inside the American silos, is the Maison Des Arts stage, which will showcase a performance stage and art installations highlighting a variety of mediums including a live mural painting, photography, and much more. At the Collective Arts Sound Stage, located near the entrance of the festival, fans will be able to experience their favorite bands, graffiti artists, and skateboard pipe dreams. Music performances will span across a diverse array of genres from country and blues to EDM and trap. Highlighted performances from this year include Curtis Lovell, Universal Phunk, Love the Genius, Miller & the Other Sinners, Freak the Mighty and Heather Russel. All of the performances and artists are listed below.
The silent disco is a festival fan favorite and will be held near the river patio, giving fans a scenic backdrop and unique way of experiencing live performances including DJs, spoken word, poets, and musicians. While there are many returning attractions, there are also some new additions to the festival this year. One of these additions is a Next Generation of the Festival Youth Stage, featuring young musicians, poets, artists, and entrepreneurs all under the age of 18.
For more information and tickets visit the website here.
The City of Rome‘s annual free summer concert series on Griffo Green at City Hall begins its run Monday, July 8 with music from the combined forces of Baddogg and 24/7 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. The long-running downtown series continues each Monday (weather depending) through Aug. 19.
Baddogg is a blues-based power rock quartet with a breadth of experience in the Central New York and national music scene. They cover such classic rock stalwarts as Steely Dan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eric Clapton as well as a solid catalog of originals. Baddogg contemporaries, 24/7 will be bringing their brand of hard rock with them to the downtown stage as well.
Baddogg
The Swamp Drivers perform on July 15. This is a band with a truly unique approach. All of their instruments are homemade. Sometimes you’ll hear a drum set referred to as the “pots and pans.” Phil Diehl’s drums are made out of trash cans and guitarist Terry Johnson has a guitar made from a Rachael Ray frying pan. This truly unique band plays a Utica-style Southern Rock and has quite a loyal CNY following.
Dubonnet is another Central New York classic and modern rock staple. They visit Griffo Green on July 22 performing hits from Heart, P!nk, Melissa Etheridge, Led Zeppelin, and Aerosmith. It’s suggested that attendees bring a lawn chair, but it probably won’t be needed.
The husband and wife duo of Andy and Tammy Box make up The Boxed Set. They will be performing on July 29. The couple brings with them a set of familiar songs ranging from Billy Joel to Fleetwood Mac and other classic rock and acoustic staples.
The Pine Ridge Mountain Band will bring their Southern Rock flavor to Downtown Rome on Aug. 5. The band features songs from ZZ Top, the Allman Brothers Band, Tom Petty, and modern rockers Blackberry Smoke in their repertoire. Not to be missed is Rome Mayor Jackie Izzo’s very own Chief-of-Staff, Larry Daniello on lead guitar. He’s one of the area’s premier guitarists.
Jazz, funk, and blues are all on the menu when the six-piece Fabulous Mojos take the stage. Lead vocalist Cathie Timian and her band bring their highly entertaining show to the City Hall green on Aug. 12. Attendees may also be asked to participate in the action as Timian tends to bring a collection of instruments and baubles to allow for audience participation in the show. Pack your dancing shoes for this one.
Caut!on closes out this year’s summer series on Aug. 19. The group, led by guitarist/vocalist Chad Plantz and lead guitarist Michael “The Wizard” Bell, are a rootsy rock band that goes deep into the catalogs of some of the best American songwriters. You can expect to hear classics from Warren Zevon, the Grateful Dead, and Bob Dylan. They’ve also been known to have a number of local musicians sit in with them over the years so it won’t be surprising to see a familiar face up there with Chad and The Wiz.
For 16 years, the Cortland Main Street Music Series has been bringing local, regional and national music acts to downtown Cortland. This year, a total of 12 musical performances, spanning a variety of genres, will take place over the course of four free concerts every Friday this month at the CFCU Community Credit Union Stage.
The series kicks off on July 5 with the local duo of Lonnie Park and John West. Following them in the evening will be The Fall Creek Brass Band from Freeville, NY, with their funky big band sound. Headlining the evening will be alternative rockers from Connecticut, The Alternate Routes. The following week, July 12 is also SUNY Cortland Alumni weekend. The night will start off with local bands The Beauchesnes and The Cousins. To celebrate alumni weekend, internationally acclaimed Todd Hobin Band from Syracuse will be headlining. Todd Hobin Band has performed on the SUNY Cortland campus more than any other band in the school’s history, and they are returning in collaboration with the Music Legacy group’s unveiling of a commemorative sculpture for this year’s alumni weekend events.
On July 19, Cortland Main Street Music welcomes Enter The Haggis, a high-energy group of Celtic-rockers combining bag pipe and fiddles with a rock rhythm and meaningful lyrics to bring a distinctively electric sound. Opening up the night will be local favorites The Starmer Brothers, and following them will be the foot-stomping folk band The Old Main. The final Friday of July will bring Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, a sixteen-year old guitar prodigy, who got his nickname “Taz” for his ferocious guitar playing. Openers for the July 26 show includes a solo performance from Marc Ryan from Tribal Revival, as well as the soulful Americana of Mike Powell and the Black River.
Next year will see a new Bonnaroo as the festival changes hands from Superfly, who founded the festival back in 2002, to Live Nation. Back in 2015, Live Nation bought a controlling stake in the festival, and Superfly’s influence in the festival has since dwindled. According to Billboard, Live Nation told minority owners in Bonnaroo that it plans to exercise a buyout clause in the 2015 agreement to purchase the rest of the festival, effectively ending Superfly’s role as the festival’s producer.
When the festival started, the lineup mainly consisted of jam bands, but eventually started expanding into a variety of genres. Bonnaroo took place on June 13-16 this year, and headliners of the sold out festival included Phish, Childish Gambino, Post Malone, Odesza, and The Lumineers.
Superfly will continue to be owners and operators of other events like Clusterfest and Outside Lands, both taking place in California. A joint venture with Comedy Central, Clusterfest, brings together music and comedy. With three nights of live comedy acts, live music with ridiculous themed dance parties, recreations of iconic television sets, and hilariously themed food and drink, the festival creates a new way to experience comedy. Outside Lands is a San Fransisco cultural experience featuring an eclectic line up of live music, show cases of the Bay Area’s finest artists, and a unique GastroMagic experience where chefs pair up with musicians and comedians to put on whimsical and unpredictable performances.
