NYS Music 20​19

Category: News Desk

  • Governors Ball anticipates move to the Bronx

    Governors Ball may be moving to the Bronx in the future, relocating from Randall’s Island to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. While the festival has been denied a permit to move locations in 2020, the company behind the festival made a pitch to members of Bronx Communty Board 8 last week.

    governors ball bronx

    Concerns over the event’s size and duration were part of turning down the move in the past, but organizers are now appealing that decision. With 50,000 people expected to attend the June 5-7 festival each day, a relocation would need to factor in the strain on local infrastructure caused by the arrival of the GovBall crowd.

    Recently, a new age policy was revealed, as well as an updated VIP experience. The festival says regarding raising the minimum age from 18 to 21, “In a change from previous years, for the 2020 festival all persons 18 and over are welcome at the festival, but a valid proof of ID is required for entry. All persons aged 17 and under MUST attend with an adult who is 21 or older. Each adult must have a valid form of ID and may accompany up to TWO ticket holders aged 17 or younger.”

    Governor’s Ball also unveiled an updated VIP experience, offering access to special viewing areas, as well as air-conditioned, flushable bathrooms; a private wi-fi network; a separate lane at ferry docks and shuttle pick-up points; free water at VIP areas and more.

  • Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, Coming Soon

    Brooklyn Bowl opens the doors to its new location in Nashville, Tennessee this spring. The grand opening on March, 14 features a performance by Bowlive with Soulive and George Porter Jr. More than 30 shows were announced for this spring, including acts like Twiddle, Toots and The Maytals, and Carseat Headrest. Tickets are on sale now.

    Brooklyn Bowl Nashville

    The 1,200 capacity live music venue will also be home to four bars and nineteen bowling alleys over it’s two stories. The owners maintain that it will retain the same aesthetic as the original Brooklyn Bowl.

  • Pete Seeger’s 2009 Dobbs Ferry concert “Think Globally, Sing Locally” released

    On the 10th anniversary of Pete Seeger‘s “Think Globally, Sing Locally” performance, the concert is now available to be heard by audiences everywhere. From December 10, 2009 in Dobby Ferry, NY, Seeger performed a special show at the South Prebyterian Church.

    Think Globally Sing Locally pete seeger

    Pete Seeger performed this concert presenting the best of American folk music and values. Pete encourages sing alongs with all, and has apriceless tapestry where school children, song leaders Jenny Murphy and Matt Turk, and the audience participate, weaving a special sound.

    Highlights include Seeger’s collaborations with the Take Me to the River Children’s Community Chorus for “There’s a Hole in the Bucket” and “She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain,” as well as civil rights anthems “Aint Gonna Let Nobody,” “We Shall Overcome” and “Take it from Dr. King.” Order the album now through Amazon.

  • Holidelic brings holiday funk this weekend to Club Helsinki

    Funk season arrives in Hudson this weekend in the form of a holiday funk tacular at Club Helsinki, and on Saturday, December 21 and Sunday, December 22, New York’s Holidelic – part dance party, part funk concert, part comedy show – and show off influences including P-Funk, Sly Stone, and other diverse funk and soul bands. This is a show for all races, creeds and lifestyle, and even for all ages with a little parental guidance.

    Holidelic features original holiday songs as well as loose, funk-infused adaptations of Tchaikovsky, “Frosty the Snowman,” “Little Drummer Boy” and the like. With Holidelic, Everett “Papadelic” Bradley puts a fresh spin on holiday cheer, through lively holiday party tunes, outrageous costumes, and a theatrical stage show worthy of George Clinton’s P-Funk. There’ll be no “Silent Night” when he reinvigorates the season, prompting concertgoers to shake their holiday booties to Sly Stone-style funk ‘n’ roll. Ho-ho-ho.

    Music starts on Saturday at 9pm and Sunday at 8pm.

    holidelic holiday funk

  • Nick Piccininni Discusses Joining Yonder Mountain String Band as New Mandolinist

    Yonder Mountain String Band announced a lineup change this week. Mandolinist Jacob Jolliff will be leaving the band at the end of this year. His final show will be Yonder Mountain’s New Year’s Eve show at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, CO. Nick Piccininni

    In a statement, the band wrote, “As of January 1, 2020, we will be saying farewell to our brother and fellow musician, Jacob Jolliff. This comes to you as a deeply considered decision. We are grateful for the music, the memories and friendship we forged with Jake and are in full support of his future endeavors with The Jacob Jolliff Band. We hope to join forces with them down the road.“

    Joining the fold is multi-instrumentalist Nick Piccininni, who will be joining the band as its new mandolinist. Piccininni, a Central New York native, has been a part of several projects, one of them is Floodwood, which includes mandolinist Jason Barady, who also performed with Piccininni in Woodenspoon, moe. drummer Vinnie Amico and guitarist Chris Eves. Al Schnier of moe. is a former member of Floodwood. Piccininni also performs as a duo with Barady and in a recent project, Follow the Muse.

    Piccininni sat in with Yonder Mountain at a few shows this past year, paving the way for his joining the veteran string band. When reached for comment, he told NYS Music that the foundation of this new opportunity has its roots in the Summer Camp Festival, an annual event jointly hosted by moe. and Umphrey’s McGee in Chillicothe, IL each May.

    We used to run into the fiddle player, Allie Kral, at Summer Camp in Illinois when we would go out there with Floodwood. She made the suggestion to try me for the few shows I filled in this summer. I guess it went well enough that they felt comfortable with asking me along with this change! I felt really comfortable with everyone in the band and crew. My first show is in Park City, UT on Jan. 6. I’ve never been to Utah so that’s cool.

    Nick Piccininni
    Photo courtesy Misse Thomas, AzureEyes Photography

    Piccininni has every intention of making this a permanent gig while still hoping to maintain time for his other projects.

    “I will say that on both sides, I think the idea is to get into this winter tour to make sure the fit is right. But they have expressed that their first choice would be to just move forward with me as their new mandolinist. Piccininni continues, “Barring any personality conflicts, which I don’t think any of us really see being an issue if this becomes my main gig it will be tough to maintain everything I already had going. But I do intend to do my best to keep up with it all. Yonder doesn’t play a super intense schedule, so that does leave room for other projects, which is awesome.”

    Piccininni’s next performance is with the Amico-Barady Quintet, moe. drummer Vinnie Amico’s annual jazz show at Tiny’s Grill in Utica on Dec. 29.

  • Great American Irish Fest Changes Dates, Moving to Utica for 2020

    The Great American Irish Festival has announced that it will be relocating and has changed the dates for next year’s festival. The festival has traditionally been held on the last weekend in July at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds in Frankfort. After 16 years in Frankfort, the festival will make its new home at the new Irish Cultural Center in the Brewery District of Utica on the weekend of Sept. 18-20.

    https://www.facebook.com/864413893600865/posts/3426342484074647/

    The festival’s original intent was to raise funds to establish a state of the art cultural center highlighting the rich Irish heritage in the Mohawk Valley. With the opening of the multi-use facility on Columbia Street in July of this year, that goal has been met and the decision was made to move the event from Frankfort to Utica as its permanent home.

    The new 23,500 square foot venue boasts an event center, an authentic 19th-century Irish pub, Five Points Public House and a museum dedicated to Irish culture.

    The move to the Brewery District means there will no longer be camping available to attendees nor will the popular Highland Games be held.

    “We recognize the fact that a change of venue may present some short-term challenges and adjustments for our guests and volunteer staff,” organizers stated, “but we encourage your support and good-natured Irish spirit as we make this monumental transition.”

    The festival has developed relationships with many of its new Varick Street neighbors, including the F.X. Matt Brewing Company, the Celtic Harp, Nail Creek Pub and Brewery and the Sanctuary, which will allow for more performance spaces.

    This year’s festival was headlined by Enter the Haggis, We Banjo 3, The High Kings and the Young Dubliners. Further information on the 2020 festival will be released in the coming months.

    We Banjo 3 spoke with NYS Music’s Kathy Stockbridge at the 2018 edition of the festival. View that interview below.

  • Benefit for Charley Orlando to Take Place Sunday at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater

    Charley Orlando may be best known to the jamband world as the former frontman for psychedelic ’90s road dogs Dexter Grove, who toured incessantly for the better part of ten years. The Syracuse area knows Orlando as not just a musician but also one of the area’s biggest music ambassadors. This Sunday, Dec. 22 the Syracuse community will come together at the Westcott Theater with a full day of music to celebrate his contributions while also raising money for a recent emergency spinal fusion surgery Orlando had performed.

    Photo: Ian LaRochelle

    Tickets for the all-ages benefit are $20 and can be purchased online, at Sound Garden in Armory Square, Syracuse, or Funk ‘n Waffles on Clinton Street. Doors open at noon. Artists scheduled to perform include Sophistafunk, Root Shock, Pearly Baker’s Best, The Old Main, Chris Merkley, Chris Eves, Bea, and Joe Driscoll. See the schedule below.

    Orlando’s recent projects include the Grateful Dead tribute band, Pearly Baker’s Best, who has a Monday residency at Funk ‘n Waffles. He also has done work as a solo artist and with his bands Ruha and the Charley Orlando Band. His work managing the Little Rock Music Group has helped bring many national, international and regional acts to Syracuse-area venues such as Funk ‘n Waffles, Ray Brothers BBQ, along with the Seedstock Festival in Cortland and the Middle Ages Brewing Company Brewfest in Syracuse. Little Rock Music Group also represents David Gans along with such up-and-comers as Root Shock, Big Sexy & the Scrambled Eggs, All Poets & Heroes, and Steven Cali.

    All proceeds from the event will go towards Orlando’s medical bills. Those who cannot attend the show can contribute funds through Facebook here.

    Scheduled performers:

    Bea: 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
    The Old Main: 1:45 p.m. – 2:45p.m.
    Chris Merkley: 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
    Pearly Balers Best: 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
    Chris Eves: 5 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
    Joe Driscoll: 5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
    Sophistafunk: 6:45 p.m. -7:45 p.m.
    Root Shock: 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.

    https://youtu.be/Fiel8ObUkHM

  • Freaks Ball XX includes Joe Russo & Hawaiii, The Showdown Kids, Garcia Peoples and more

    The Bell House in Brooklyn will host Freaks Ball XX on Saturday, February 15. New York City’s Freaks, hosts and internet jam band group, have brought together another all star lineup of supergroups and rising stars in the New York City jam scene.

    Artists include The Showdown Kids (Scott Metzger, Katie Jacoby, Simon Kafka), Garcia Peoples, The National Reserve, Karina Rykman/Adam November Duo, and headlining is the live debut of Hawaiii, a new group consisting of Joe Russo, John Shaw and Erik Deutsch. Throughout the night, a light show will be provided by Macrodose.

    Proceeds from the event will go towards the Freaks Action Network, which harnesses the “strengths and love of music to make a positive difference in people’s lives.” Tickets for Freaks Ball XX are now on sale.

  • U.S. Department of Justice preparing legal action against Live Nation for ticketing tactics

    Per a report in the Wall Street Journal this past week, the U.S. Department of Justice is preparing to take legal action against Live Nation Entertainment. The allegations include the concert promoter seeking to strong-arm concert venues into using its dominant Ticketmaster subsidiary.

    The department believes the concert promoter is in violation of the merger settlement Live Nation and Ticketmaster reached with the government in 2010. It was originally the DoJ antitrust unit that allowed the companies to merge, on the condition they abide by a range of conditions to keep ticket prices in check, including agreeing to be barred from retaliating against venue owners who use a competing ticket service.

    The government plans to file a decree enforcement action, per a source. As ticket prices rise and the settlement is set to expire next year, the DoJ now plans to extend the restrictions by several years and prohibit coercive conduct by Live Nation, the report added.

    When the two companies merged in 2010, Live Nation became an entertainment giant that does everything from managing musicians, operating venues, promoting concerts and selling tickets.

    In a filing to the U.S. government, Live Nation said it had worked on 35,000 events with more than 4,500 artists in 2018. It also said that Live Nation owns, operates, has exclusive booking rights for or an equity interest in 237 venues, including the House of Blues.

  • The Stanley Theater Welcomes the Oak Ridge Boys in 2020

    Country’s iconic quartet The Oak Ridge Boys have announced their 2020 tour dates. Among the 20 stops will be Utica’s very own Stanley Theatre on February 13 at 7:30 PM. The set list will include charted hits from the past 40 years including “Bobbie Sue,” “American Made,” “Dream On” and many more.

    The 2015 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees have five Grammy Awards and more than a dozen Number Ones and 30 Top Ten Hits. With typically over a 100 performances a year, they are a nonstop touring group known for having dynamically spectacular live shows. The Oak Ridge Boys comprises lead singer Duane Allen, bass singer Richard Sterban, tenor Joe Bonsall, and baritone William Lee Golden.

    The 2020 tour starts just as they finish their 30th Annual Christmas Tour which features music off of their newly released Christmas album Down Home Christmas.

    Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Stanley Theatre box office, online or by phone at (315) 724-4000.

    TICKETS

    Oak Ridge Boys 2020 Tour Dates

    Jan.15 – Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts and Corporate Presentations – Richardson, TX

    Jan.16 – Waco Hippodrome Theatre – Waco, TX

    Jan.17- Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre – New Braunfels, TX

    Jan.18-19 – The Grand 1894 Opera House – Galveston, TX

    Jan.23-24 – Paramount Center for the Arts – Bristol, TN

    Jan.25 – Belterra Casino Resort – Florence, IN

    Feb.3-9 – Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino – Laughlin, NV

    Feb.13 – Stanley Theatre – Utica, NY

    Feb.22 – IP Casino Resort and Spa – Biloxi, MS

    Feb.27 – Florida Strawberry Festival – Plant City, FL

    Feb.28 – Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee – Immokalee, FL

    Feb.29 – Orange Blossom Opry – Weirsdale, FL

    Mar.5 – Peoples Bank Theatre – Marietta, OH

    Mar.6 – Birchmere – Alexandria, VA

    Mar.7 – American Music Theatre – Lancaster, PA

    Mar.14 – Alabama Theatre – North Myrtle Beach, SC

    Mar.20 – Medina Entertainment Center – Hamel, MN

    Mar.21 – Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City – Kansas City, KS

    Mar.28 – Spartanburg SD Community Auditorium – Spartanburg, SC

    Apr.4 – Sugar Creek Casino – Hinton, OK

    Jun.5-6 – Hartville Kitchen – Hartville, OH

    Jun.25 – CV Music Festivals – Cadott, WI

    Aug.8 – Mill Town Music Hall – Bremen, GA

Built in Breakdance