Category: News Desk

  • Vernon Reid to perform Hendrix’s ‘Band of Gypsys Live at The Fillmore East’ at The Egg

    On Friday, November 1, Vernon Reid and his “Band of Gypsys Revisited Band” will perform at The Egg in Albany, as part of the American Roots & Branches concert series.

    In the spirit of revisiting, refreshing and further exploring the soul, funk & roll of the Jimi Hendrix album Band of Gypsys Live at The Fillmore East, guitarist extraordinaire Vernon Reid of Living Colour, guitarist André ‘Dré Glo’ Lassalle, drummer James “Biscuit” Rouse, and bassist Jared Michael Nickerson will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the recording of this iconic and influential album.

    Tickets available at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza, by telephone 518-473-1845 or online.

  • The Wood Brothers announce new album, drop single “Alabaster”

    Grammy-nominated band, The Wood Brothers, have a new full-length on the way. Honey Jar/Thirty Tigers is putting out the studio album, Kingdom In My Mind, on January 24, 2020. They’ve just debuted the first song, “Alabaster.”

    Kingdom In My Mind is a follow-up to 2018’s One Drop of Truth, which hit #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and garnered the band their first GRAMMY Award-nomination for “Best Americana Album.” The material for the forthcoming album started as they were breaking in their new Nashville studio, as they were tracking instrumental jam sessions to get a feel for the facility.

    “If we had known we were making a record, we probably would have been too self-conscious to play what we played,” reflects Chris. “At the time, we just thought we were jamming to break in our new studio, so we felt free to explore all these different ways of playing together without worrying about form or structure. It was liberating.” Preorders the album here.

    The Wood Brothers are currently finishing out an extensive US tour. They’ll be in NYC on January 30 and 31, Rochester on February 5, and Albany on February 8. Some of the proceeds from ticket sales go to support Thistle Farms, a Nashville-based non-profit organization which helps women to rebuild their lives.

    The Wood Brothers Tour Dates

    11/15 – Madison, WI – Barrymore Theatre ^ (Sold Out)
    11/16 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue ^ (Sold Out)
    11/18 – Old Saybrook, CT – Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center
    12/3 – Baton Rouge, LA – Manship Theatre ^^ (Sold Out)
    12/4 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater ^^
    12/5 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre ^^
    12/6 – Dallas, TX – The Kessler Theater ^^ (Sold Out)
    12/7 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom ^^
    12/9 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown ^^
    12/11 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen ^^ (Sold Out)
    12/12 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Strings Music Festival
    12/13 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater ^^
    12/14 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater ^^
    12/15 – Breckenridge, CO – Riverwalk Center ^^
    1/29 – Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head Live
    1/30 – New York, NY – Webster Hall 
    1/31 – New York, NY – Webster Hall 
    2/1 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
    2/3 – Toronto, Canada – Mod Club Theatre
    2/5 – Rochester, NY – Kodak Center
    2/6 – Burlington, VT – Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
    2/7 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall
    2/8 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre
    2/9 – State College, PA – The State Theatre
    2/11 – McKees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theatre
    2/12 – Richmond, VA – The National
    2/13 – Chattanooga, TN – Walker Theatre
    2/14 – Nashville, TN – The Ryman
    2/27 – 3/1 – Punta Cana, DR – Avett Brothers at the Beach (Sold Out)
    3/4 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom
    3/5 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent
    3/6 – Santa Barbara, CA – Campbell Hall
    3/7 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
    3/8 – Eureka, CA – Arkley Center for the Performing Arts
    3/10 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theater
    3/11 – Kirkland, WA – Kirkland Performance Center
    3/12 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
    3/13 – Vancouver, BC – Imperial
    4/2 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
    4/3 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
    4/4 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre
    4/5 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre
    4/7 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
    4/8 – Columbus, OH – Southern Theatre
    4/9 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
    4/10 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
    4/11 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel

    ^ w/ Nicole Atkins
    ^^ w/ Katie Pruitt

  • ‘I Can’t Drive 55’ was Inspired by The Northway

    According to a clip from a recently shared interview, former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar tells the interviewer that a drive on I-87 North was the inspiration behind “I Can’t Drive 55.” What many New Yorkers know as ‘The Northway,‘ Hagar was inspired to write the song after he was pulled over for speeding on a drive from Albany to Lake Placid.

    In the clip above, Hagar said he had returned from a family safari vacation and was headed north when a cop pulled him over. Hagar thought he was driving under the speed limit.

    “You get tickets for 62 around here. I’m like wait a minute, the speed limit is 65 and he’s like, ‘No, it’s 55.’ I didn’t know they changed it and I wrote the story right on the spot. This guy’s writing the ticket and I’m writing the lyrics.”

    Hagar, Pulled Over on I-87 N

    Even though Hagar does not mention the Northway or Interstate 87 by name, the only road you could go 55mph, let alone 65mph in the area would be The Northway.

    I can't drive 55

    So, if you’re ever had to drive north between 4 and 6pm during the week, you know what it’s like to not be able to drive 55. Plus, you and Sammy Hagar now have something in common.

  • Halloween Jerry Dance Party offers Immersive, Psychedelic, Audio/Visual experience

    Following Dead and Company’s Halloween performances at Madison Square Garden on October 31 and November 1, Jerry Dance Party will take place at ZeroSpace, giving Deadheads a chance to keep the dancin late into the night.

    “This is a rare opportunity to bring one of the most inspiring musicians of all-time into New York’s newest, visionary venue on the most creative holiday of year,” said event creator DJ JerrBrother. “Past will meet future when the music of Jerry Garcia plays at ZeroSpace!”

    Inspired by psychedelic late-nights at the LOCKN’, The Jerry Dance Party will take place at New York’s Burning Man-inspired art-tech space ZeroSpace and include thousands of square feet of multi-sensory video mapping, projection and lasers.

    Each Jerry Party room at ZeroSpace will be dedicated to a specific decade of The Dead, providing unique experiences that stretch into the early morning hours. For those Rhythm Devil fans, there will also be a 3D mapped, 30-foot geodesic dome synchronized to “Drums & Space” all night long.

    ZeroSpace is located at 136 W. 33rd St, just steps away from Madison Square Garden. It features custom projections, interactive LED screens, projection mapped floors, synchronized illuminations, the largest augmented reality sandbox in the world and more, all tuned to the magical sounds of The Dead for this exclusive two-night event.

    Tickets for the post-Dead & Company Halloween Jerry Dance Party are $25 and on sale now. This event is 18+. Visit Relix for more information.

  • The Who’s ‘Tommy’ will return to Broadway in 2021

    Pete Townshend and Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff will bring The Who’s Tommy back to Broadway in 2021. 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of The Who’s Tommy, which tells the story of a young boy traumatized into deafness and blindness, yet has an unexpected gift for pinball that puts him on the path towards becoming the leader of a messianic movement.

    Inspired by the groundbreaking 1969 LP and the 1975 film adaptation, the staged musical version of The Who’s Tommy first appeared in the summer of 1992 at San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse. It later opened on Broadway in 1993, winning a Grammy and five Tony Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Direction of a Musical.

    With McAnuff and Townshend at the helm, the show won five Tonys that year. Now, with a return to the stage, McAnuff says it is more relevant that ever.

    “Our new production of Tommy will be a reinvention aimed directly at today,” he said of the new production, for which he’ll act as director. “Tommy combines myth and spectacle in a way that truly soars. The key question with any musical is ‘Does the story sing?’ and this one most certainly does. Tommy is the anti-hero ground zero. He is the boy who not only rejects adulthood like Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye, but existence itself. He becomes lost in the universe as he stares endlessly and obsessively into the mirror at his own image. This gives our story a powerful resonance today as it seems like the whole world is staring into the black mirror. The story of Tommy exists all too comfortably in the 21st Century. In fact, time may finally have caught up to Tommy Walker.”

    “In every producer’s career a show comes along that feels like a perfect fit,” says producer Hal Luftig. “To have Des and Pete look at Tommy again is extremely exciting and feels just right. I’m thrilled to bring Tommy back home to Broadway where it belongs!” Producer Patrick Catullo adds, “My parents took me to see Des’ original Broadway production for my 16th birthday. It completely blew my mind and is the singular reason I pursued a career in theater. The story is timeless and it’s one of the best scores ever written. I am beyond excited to present The Who’s Tommy not only for its existing fans, but to introduce it to a new audience as well.”

  • Annual Tradition Ends: Arlo Guthrie’s Final Thanksgiving Show at Carnegie

    A tradition for more than half a century comes to a close this year. Arlo Guthrie announced that this will be his last time performing his traditional Thanksgiving show at Carnegie Hall. Guthrie has been touring for the anniversary of his iconic song “Alice’s Restaurant,” with daughter Sara Lee Guthrie this year. The pair, along with a host of family and friends, will celebrate one last time at Carnegie on November 30, 2019.

    Tickets for Arlo Guthrie at Carnegie Hall and remaining 2019 tour are available. Tickets are selling fast, and the final Thanksgiving show is expected to sell out.

    The song is based on a series of events that started with his friend’s Ray and Alice, who were renovating an unconsecrated church where they lived. Arthur Penn turned the song into a full-length movie in 1969, set at and around the church and starring Guthrie and many of the people acting as themselves on camera.

    Guthrie purchased the church in 1991 and turned it into a thriving community center. There’s been plenty of work to do on the historic building, which has been standing nearly two hundred years. He’s had the church reconsecrated, and there are regular services.

    Guthrie has worked to fulfill a dream of having a family band, in honor of his father Woody Guthrie. His children, grandchildren, and extended family have been joining him on stage over the years. 


    Read more in Guthrie’s interview with NYS Music.


  • Supergroup Childsplay Fiddles with One Final Tour

    After 32 years Childsplay, comprised with some of the world’s best fiddle players, announced they would be going on tour for the last time. The short six-stop-tour across the Northeast starts in November and will include a performance at Symphony Space  in New York City on November 22. Once again, famous fiddler and fiddle maker, Bob Childs, will lead this group as their time together comes to a close. Other members of the group range include Irish and Scottish fiddle champions to performers from the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

    It is hard to believe from that first show in 1986 that this day would come, but we have arrived at the final tour of the band. We’ve performed throughout the United States and Europe showcasing different styles of fiddle music. Through all of this, we have experienced so much pleasure and joy performing in front of some of the greatest audiences. This last tour gives us one more chance to savor and enjoy the magic that happens between our audience and the band.

    Bob Childs, Childsplay Frontman

    Special guests Sheila Falls, National Scottish Fiddle champions Hanneke Cassel and Katie McNally, Boston Symphony Violinist Bonnie Bewick and the talented Virginia fiddler Steve Hickman will be joining the group as they play music selected from their seven albums. Along with exceptional fiddle playing, one can expect original dances by by Molly Gawler, formerly of Pilobolus, Kevin Doyle contributing step-dancing routines. Irish folk singer Karan Casey will also be on the tour, all contributing to what will a series of extra special concerts.

    Childsplay

    The group formed over 30 years ago with only one common denominator, they all played instruments made by Childs. Thus Childsplay was formed. A majority of the music that Childsplay performs is written and arranged by the group with the intention to cover as many fiddle traditions as possible, from Irish to Celtic to the classics and more modern sounds.  

    Tickets for the concerts are on sale now at www.childsplay.org.

    Childsplay Tour Dates

     Nov. 14 – Stockbridge Theatre – Derry, NH

    Nov. 16 – State Theatre – Portland, ME

    Nov. 17 – Latchis Theatre – Brattleboro, VT

    Nov. 21 – Monomoy Regional High School – Harwich, MA

    Nov. 22 – Symphony Space – New York, NY

    Nov. 24 – Sanders Theatre – Cambridge, MA (two shows)

  • Phish to perform intimate show at The Met for SiriusXM listeners

    Phish will perform an exclusive concert for listeners of their SiriusXM channel, Phish Radio, on Tuesday, December 3 at The Met in Philadelphia, PA.

    SiriusXM subscribers will have a number of opportunities to win a pair of tickets to this show, including on-air on Phish Radio, online at SiriusXM.com/Phish (see official rules for complete details), via e-mail invitation sent to qualified subscribers who have opted in to receiving email from SiriusXM and who have registered their music interests at SiriusXM.com/perks.

    The Met show marks the smallest venue Phish has played in nearly 20 years and will be broadcast live on Phish Radio.

  • Aqueous All Set to Kick Off Fall Tour in Syracuse

    Buffalo-based band Aqueous makes the first stop on their extensive fall tour tonight in Syracuse at the Westcott Theater. Comprised of Mike Gantzer (guitar/vocals), Dave Loss (guitar/keys/vocals), Evan McPhaden (bass) and Rob Houk (drums), Aqueous is known for their heavy improvisation and their “near psychic” level of on-stage chemistry. As a band, they are always exploring musically, and there is bound to be some exciting surprises for fans throughout the course of the tour. The band is eager to get back on the road and reconnect with fans after an extremely successful festival season this summer, which included appearances at Peach Music Festival, Summer Camp Music Festival and Cobblestone Live.

    “You can’t beat the intimacy and connection with the crowd during headlining AQ shows at clubs, and we’ve got some big plans for this tour.”

    Mike Gantzer

    Highlights for the upcoming tour include a special “Hero’s Halloween” themed night in Pittsburgh which will also feature a collaboration with Pittsburgh’s own pop/funk horn section, Steeltown Horns. There will be VIP “King For A Day” packages for dates in Chicago and Denver. VIP Packages include early entry to the venue, photo opportunity with the band, a download of the show’s soundboard and limited edition VIP merchandise. Additionally, Aqueous will be making their debut at the famed Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY with their Vermont-based frends Twiddle. The tour will close out with a hometown two-night run at the Town Ballroom for New Year’s Eve with Buffalo based band Witty Tarbox

    New York and Connecticut-based trio lespecial will be joining Aqueous for a few dates on the tour. Lespecial seamlessly fuses a myriad of genres, veering from hip-hop to metal, prog to house, pensive indie-rock to apocalyptic dub.

    See the full list of tour dates below, and visit the band’s website for ticket information. 

    10/24 – Syracuse, NY – Westcott Theater *

    10/26 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Putnam Place *

    10/30 – Harrisburg, PA – XL Live *

    10/31 – Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater *

    11/1 – Baltimore, MD – The 8×10 *

    11/2 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall *

    11/3 – Virginia Beach, VA – The Bunker *

    11/6 – Raleigh, NC – Pour House *

    11/7 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5 *

    11/8 – Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall *

    11/9 – Nashville, TN – Exit / In *

    11/10 – Louisville, KY – Gravely Brewing Co. *

    11/13 – Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig *

    11/14 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi-Fi

    11/15 – Grand Rapids, MI – Stache @ Intersection

    11/16 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall $

    11/17 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon

    11/19 – Saint Paul, MN – Turf Club

    11/20 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown

    11/22 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre $

    11/23 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Old Town Pub

    12/6 – Covington, KY – Madison Live

    12/7 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands

    12/30 & 12/31 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom

     * w/ Lespecial

    $ notes dates w/ “King For A Day” VIP Experience Option

  • JRAD confirm 3-night run at The Capitol Theatre in February

    Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) this week confirm they will return to The Capitol Theatre in 2020 with a three night run from February 21-23.

    jrad confirm

    Presale tickets are available via Facebook on Wednesday, October 23 from 12PM to 10PM. The presale password will be available that day via JRAD’s Facebook page.

    Presale continues via The Capitol Theatre on Thursday, October 24 from 12PM until 10PM, and general on sale begins Friday, October 25 at Noon.

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