Blacktop Mojo will be bringing their Can’t Sleep 2019 Tour to The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY on Wednesday, August 7. Athens, Gerogia’s hard-rock grunge band, Lullwater, will be providing support.
Blacktop Mojo is touring in support of their upcoming record, Under the Sun, which comes out this September. The album follows, Burn the Ships which featured the singles “Where the Wind Blows” and their cover of Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” Under the Sun is available now for preorder at all download platforms. Anyone preordering Under the Sun will receive the first single “Can’t Sleep” as an instant gratuity track.
Lullwater is touring with their critically acclaimed new album Voodoo, which is available now.
As previously announced, Blacktop Mojo will be doing extensive touring throughout 2019 and 2020 in support of the record. Tickets for the first leg of touring are currently on sale and can be .
Perhaps musical talent can be inherited. At least, that seems to be the case with David and Sophie Buskin, who will be performing as part of Caffè Lena’s Pride Series on Thursday, August 1, as Buskin & Buskin. David, known for his background in folk-rock, is part of the duo Buskin & Batteau, and the band Modern Man, which he refers to as a “geezer trio.” He is a talented songwriter and has written for artists such as Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie and Roberta Flack.
Sophie is a bit more rock and roll. Her stylings influenced by alt-rock, albeit she has been a part of the NYC folk scene for many years now. While attending college at Berklee, she was part of their Gospel Choir. Her first album, Sweet Creature, was released last year. She has been slowly evolving as a musician in her journey of self-discovery, and has performed with Jewel, Alana Davis, Mason Jennings and Judy Collins.
This multi-generational act brings a certain playfulness to the stage that comes along with knowing one another for such a long period of time. David’s pride in his daughter and her maturation into the musical performer she is today is apparent in their interactions, and is a pleasure to witness.
The opener that evening will be local Schenectady County Community College barbershop quartet, Out of Time. Tickets can be purchased here.
In a last-ditch effort to save the 50th-anniversary celebration of Woodstock, organizers are moving the concert to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD.
Bloomberg reported Thursday that the outdoor amphitheater will host “Woodstock 50 Washington” on the originally planned dates of Aug. 16-18. The venue is said to hold 32,000 people, a number far lower than the 150,000 promoters originally planned to host at the Watkins Glen site.
After having their permit pulled by Watkins Glen officials in early June, Woodstock organizers sought to move the concert some 150 miles northeast of the Glen to the Central New York town of Vernon.
After being rejected by Vernon four separate times, Michael Lang, and Greg Peck have landed in Columbia, MD, according to Bloomberg. Howard County executive, Calvin Ball is welcoming the festival with open arms:
“When we heard that there was an opportunity to save this festival and bring a piece of American history to our community this summer, we jumped at the chance. Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia is a jewel of Howard County and one of the top music venues in the nation. It felt like such a natural fit to host a historic festival on our storied stage.”
The new venue brings with it a new mission. It is now being pitched as a benefit for climate change and the voter registration organization HeadCount. Portions of the proposed $129-$595 one-day passes would go towards these non-profits.
The wrench in the works is whether the acts originally slated to appear will be on board with the venue change. Variety reports that artists, who have already been paid in full, are simply waiting for the event to be canceled altogether.
The clock is ticking to get this thing off the ground. With three weeks until the event is scheduled to take place, ticket sales still need to be announced. Stay tuned.
With the motto 3 days, 2 stages, 1 love, no worries, Mazzstock Music Festival is something special. With a long history ranging back for over a decade, people are taking notice of the intimate and affordable festival located within the picturesque, bucolic Hudson Valley Region at Mazzstock Fieldin Marlboro, NY. Conveniently 1.5 hours from New York City, 2 hours from Hartford, 3 hours from Philadelphia and 4 hours from Boston, Mazzstock is celebrating its 12th year (5th year as a 3 day fest) and drawing crowds with another very strong lineup.
Co-Founder “Big Lee” Mazzola, co-producer Vinny Pomarico and their team, have always been known for providing a superior music experience, but this year’s Mazzstock offers an impressive assortment of quickly ascending artists. Festival favorite and Mazzstock veteran, Zach Deputy, returns as a headliner, while Flux Capacitor, Dark Side of the Hudson, Gratefully Yours, Escaper, Cousin Earth and Cosmal are just a few offerings on the festival’s varied lineup – which also features a number of stylized and talented DJs for late-night silent disco.
The most incredible thing about Mazzstock is that the 3-day pass is very reasonably priced – hands down the most affordable festival you’ll find all summer – ensuring one gets a lot of bang for the buck. Three-day passes for Mazzstock Music Festival are available here. The festival is two weeks away, from August 9 to 11, so one should start making their plans now – this is a festival that should not be missed.
Check out our list of five acts you’ll definitely want to catch this year below!
Zach Deputy
This jovial master looper returns as the headliner with his patented potent musings
Hayley Jane and the Primates
The beautiful and talented Hayley Jane and her band return to share infectious tunes in one of their last shows ever
Cousin Earth
This Brooklyn-based outfit, heavily influenced by the ukulele, offers an energetic and unique bevy of jams.
Cosmal
This eclectic duo consistently delivers translucent melodies and contagious grooves.
DJ Joey Hernandez
The innovative and energetic DJ will be dropping those deep funky house music beats for your dancing feet.
Page McConnell, Oteil Burbridge, Russell Batiste & Adam Zimmon Join Forces on a new album Crossing Lines, due in September from Vida Blue.
Phish keyboardist, Page McConnell is reviving his side-project Vida Blue. Comprised of Oteil Burbridge (bass/Dead & Company,) Russell Batiste (drums/The Meters,) and Adam Zimmon (guitar/Ziggy Marley, Shakira), the foursome has announced the release of the first Vida Blue album in 15 years. Crossing Lines will be available digitally Friday, Sept. 20. There will be a vinyl and CD version of the album releasing in October and can be pre-ordered on Phish Dry Goods. The album’s fist song, “Analog Delay” is available digitally now.
Crossing Lines, produced by McConnell, included the original trio and is joined by new member Zimmon on guitar. McConnell is also responsible for the exclusive cover illustration of the record Vida Blue.
McConnell assembled Vida Blue in 2001 after attending shows by both Burbridge and Batiste, and made their live debut at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom before heading into the studio to record their self-titled studio album. Upon release in June 2002, Vida Blue received high praise from critics.
Vida Blue will support the release of Crossing Lines with a series of live performances in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Port Chester, NY. Ticket pre-sales begin Wednesday, July 24. For complete details and ticket availability, visit Page McConnell’s website. Check out the single “Analog Delay” below.
We, the people, live in a world of deception and violence, plagued with its unknown burden at every corner. What is so beautiful about the human race, is that we are natural born fighters. Hence, we must wage WAR. Our allies, the multi-platinum, genre-less fusion group WAR, have been by our side since their inception in 1969. You are familiar with their renowned hits “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “Low Rider” and “The World Is A Ghetto.” Fifty years later, and more than 50 million records sold, founder and last standing original member, Leroy “Lonnie” Jordan is rooted in the bands original message of peace, the people and love.
Paralleling messages of Martin Luther King Jr., it is extraordinarily special that the band will be performing at King’s Memorial Square in Manhattan Park in Rochester, NY on Thursday July 25. WAR will headline alongside stout openers Taz Niederauer and Grupo NextLevel apart of Five Star Bank’s Party in the Park series. Tickets can be purchased here or at the doors for $7 – VIP, season passes and amenities available, where kids 12 and under are free. Bazaar in the Park, a collection of rotating local artists and vendors selling unique wares across from the fountains will return as well.
Lonnie Jordan @ Paramount Hudson Valley in Peeskill, NY. Photo By NYS’ Mickey Deneher.
“People can remember that this gentleman, Martin Luther King, was a non-violent. Thats bottom line. He had the same message we did through our music. He was a doctor of communication and a troubadour himself. He preached NON-violence, that’s the key. The fact that he could get so many people together to march and express that, and show that you can stand up against violence when you’re together as one – totally for peace.
WAR was well ahead of their time back in 1969, so much that their sheer versatility hindered them, unable to be classified for any awards or music recognition. Their timeless approach and harmony proved in the long run and has earned WAR the title of the first and most successful musical crossover phenomenon, that forever fused rock, jazz, Latin and R&B, while transcending racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line-up.” Lonnie didn’t even think their music would play on the radio, in shock.
WAR @ Paramount Hudson Valley. Photo By NYS’ Mickey Deneher.
Multi-instrumentalist Lonnie Jordan has been a last-standing original member for over 20 years – keeping the essence of WAR alive. “We’re still a jam band like we were back then. I still feel blessed by the people that stayed and supported us over the years. Thank God we have different genres of music that can put us on any stage at any time. It’s been a good ride, and I don’t plan to drop anytime soon [chuckling]. This is my healing power – for me and the people – I am a doctor of music.
Lonnie dubs WAR as universal street music, which is way beyond the mass of categories that the band carries.
WAR Press Photo by Dan Atiliano.
“This goes into the universal. Even other aliens from other planets can groove off of our music and understand it. That’s all it is: grooves and messages. Our Rock and roll hall of fans [the people and fans] – they put us here and can take us out.
Lonnie Jordan, WAR.
With age comes experience and Lonnie definitely has some stories to tell, all of which are built and prided in his people. When Lonnie speaks of the people, better known as the bands’ rock and roll hall of fans, there is no doubt Lonnie is speaking to the world in its entirety – down to each molecule, to the stars and beyond. “Just like Jimi Hendrix used to say: are you experienced? Well, we took that message and said: yes we are experienced – because everyday is a new song. We realized it everytime we go into the studio, our engineer would turn the tape on and we would just jam,” said Jordan. In fact, Lonnie said that Hendrix jammed with them back in the day, including the night before Jimi passed.
Everything shapes WAR and Lonnie himself. From listening to his mother play old classics from Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Glenn Miller and all of the bands serving our country as far as entertaining the troops, to old black and white films, Lonnie was on the hook. He broke out into Frank Sinatra’s “Laura” after mentioning the title and drifting off into a melody across the phone line.
A pivotal song inspiring Lonnie, as well as black and white films, humming across the phone.
“All of these movies had beautiful love stories, and they had beautiful music – and that is what inspired me. I was a couch potato as a kid – laying on the floor right in front of the TV (with no room on the couch). After pretty much being tortured by four brothers, and you’re the youngest , all I did was cry. And my brothers used to always tease me and say: Oh yo- you gonna be a singer; you scream loud. And indeed I did,” said Lonnie, reminiscing with spurts of laughter.
Lonnie connects with his rock and roll hall of fans. Photo By NYS’ Mickey Deneher.
From there Lonnie stuttered on a backlog of musical influences from: Ray Charles, Elvis Presley – when country western music was actually country and western, Ray Price, Bill Evans, Coltrane, Monk, Billie Holliday-types, James Brown, and a slew of Latin influences from Tito Puente and blues acts Jimmy Reed and Memphis Slim. The list goes on, including Bellafonte, “when it wasn’t even called reggae – it was calypso. That’s what I brought to the table back in the day, bringing all these genres together in one salad bowl – that is what WAR is all about,” said Lonnie.
WAR’s Mission states: Our instruments and voices became our weapons of choice and the songs our ammunition. We spoke out against racism, hunger, gangs, crimes, and turf wars, as we embraced all people with hope and the spirit of brotherhood. It’s just as apropos today. Lonnie takes this one step further.
“We We were raging against wars – a sign of the times. The Vietnam war was raging so we said: hey we are gonna call ourselves WAR – our basis behind it is to wage war, to stop the war and to stop wars in our own neighborhood back in those days. And just let people know they do have a choice not to use guns and bombs, (rather) to use love, or for musicians use your instrument to shoot out rhythms and melodies and most of all harmony – harmony bringing people together; it is also apart of music. We are doctors of communication. Thats how we express ourselves.
“Turf all looks the same. The ground all looks the same. The jungle, concrete, all looks the same. If you asked me to categorize it – I can’t – I conveniently do not remember, especially at 71.
Lonnie Jordan
Unfortunately the bad people [in this world] outweigh the good; the only way the good people can stand strong, and stronger, is by coming together with peace because love outweighs people – bottom line.”
‘It’s all the same’ – Photo By NYS’ Mickey Deneher @ Paramount Hudson Valley in Peeskill, NY
Be sure to catch WAR this Sunday (7:30-8:30 Set) at Great South Bay Music Festival, and stay tuned for our set coverage on War!
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
(Updated 12:45 am, July 17, 2019) The Poughkeepsie Journal is reporting that Woodstock has issued a statement regarding the denial of their appeal to the Town of Vernon Planning Board Tuesday night. The statement thanks the artists and Vernon Downs owner Jeff Gural for their support of the festival. Read the full statement below:
Woodstock 50 is disappointed that the Town of Vernon has passed up the opportunity to hold the historic 50th anniversary festival by denying our robust and thoughtful proposal. We regret that those in Vernon who supported Woodstock have been deprived of the once-in-a-lifetime chance to be part of the rebirth of a cultural peace movement that changed the world in 1969 and is what the world needs now. We want to thank the artists who stood by us. We are grateful for the support of Vernon Downs and its generous owner Jeffrey Gural.
The Town of Vernon Codes Department twice denied event applications filed by Woodstock 50 promoters last week to hold the anniversary concert over three days in August. Tuesday night Woodstock and Vernon Downs officials pleaded their case before the town’s planning board only to have their appeal unanimously denied 3-0 with two members not present.
Nearly 200 people packed the town hall for the meeting which saw passionate pleas both for and against Vernon Downs hosting the event Aug. 16-18.
Woodstock officials held “open house” meetings on Monday and Tuesday to allow citizens to get to know them and hear their plans for the festival.
Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente and Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol have been vocally against the event being held with little time to prepare. Both released statements late Tuesday afternoon, just hours before the Planning Board meeting.
Picente said, “Currently with less than 30 days to go, their incompetence and misrepresentations are still front and center. They have consistently failed to provide traffic plans that scratch the surface of what would be necessary. They have yet to provide a parking plan that even begins to come close to tenable for the residents of Vernon.” Adding after the final decision, “I’m pleased with the decision of the Town of Vernon Planning Board to uphold the town codes officer’s decision denying Woodstock 50 a permit.”
Maciol’s statement said, “We should be talking about August of 2020 or 2021, not August of 2019. As the security plans were unveiled to us, I immediately developed serious concerns that I feel will jeopardize public safety.”
And while this decision seems to be the final nail in the Woodstock 50 coffin, promoter Michael Lang left open the possibility of it still occurring, telling Syracuse.com, “There’s a crack. We’ll know more tomorrow,” while also saying they won’t take this decision to the courts.
Vernon Downs owner Jeff Gural, who has expressed interest in making the harness track a concert venue in order to remain financially viable, spoke bluntly at Tuesday’s meeting, pleading for the town to “take a chance” while also stating, “If we don’t get permission to do this, I’m not going to try again.”
Woodstock 50’s troubled path began when investors pulled out, causing Watkins Glen to terminate the permit.
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.”
