NYS Music 20​19

Category: News Desk

  • Grammy-Nominated Guitarist Julian Lage Announces Vanguard Stint; Winter Dates

    Acclaimed jazz guitarist – Julian Lage, has revealed a new set of performances to end the year and bring in the new decade, in celebration of his latest Grammy nomination. A five-time nominee of the prestigious award, Lage has been a universally renowned composer for almost two decades – having first performed at the 2000 Grammy awards, at only 12 years old.

    The tour, which has included performances alongside fellow guitar icon Bill Frisell, will see him and his bandmates – The Julian Lage Trio, featured in his 2019 album Love Hurts – perform throughout the East Coast. Beginning with a stop at Philadelphia’s Jonny Brenda’s, Lage will also make stops in Washington, DC and Old Saybrook, CT, before finishing off with a six-night set at the Village Vanguard in New York City.

    Julian Lage’s slate of performance can be found below, while tickets can be purchased here.

    Dec. 18 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA

    Dec. 19 – Union Stage – Washington, DC

    Dec. 20 – Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center – Old Saybrook, CT

    Jan. 14 – 19 (Tuesday through Sunday) – Village Vanguard – New York, NY

  • Greensky Bluegrass Announces Winter Tour

    American bluegrass/rock band Greensky Bluegrass has announced a new winter tour that will span the first two months of 2020. The band – known for bringing a rock-and-roll feel to bluegrass music – will be touring in support of their 2019 album All For Money.

    Comprised of dobro player Anders Beck, Michael Arlen Bont on the banjo, guitarist, Dave Bruzza, Mike Devol on the upright bass, and Paul Hoffman on the mandolin, Greensky Bluegrass has been touring for the last 18 years, taking pride in their unique sound.

    “We’re a rock-and-roll band that plays bluegrass instruments. Bluegrass is such a finite thing. Because you have a banjo and a mandolin, you’re supposed to do it a certain way. But we’ve always been ourselves,” said Beck.

    This latest expedition will begin on January 15 and will see them tour throughout the Midwest and the East and West Coasts before finishing off in the South, with a performance in Atlanta, GA, on February 7 and 8. The East Coast swing contains several stops in New York in January at venues like the State Theater in Ithaca, NYC’s Beacon Theatre, and Albany’s own The Egg.

    Greensky Bluegrass’ remaining tour dates can be found below. While tickets can be found here.

    Jan. 15 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO

    Jan. 16 – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall – Louisville, KY

    Jan. 17 – Agora Theatre – Cleveland, OH

    Jan. 18 – The Met – Philadelphia, PA

    Jan. 19 – Roxian Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA

    Jan. 22 – State Theater of Ithaca – Ithaca, NY

    Jan. 23 – The State Theatre – Portland, ME

    Jan. 24 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY

    Jan. 25 – House of Blues – Boston, MA

    Jan. 28. – Flynn Center – Burlington, VT

    Jan. 29 – The Egg – Albany, NY

    Jan. 30 – Penn’s Peak – Jim Thorpe, PA

    Jan. 31 & Feb. 1 – The Anthem – Washington, D.C.

    Feb. 4 – Madison Theater – Covington, KY

    Feb. 5 – The Mill and Mine – Knoxville, TN

    Feb. 6 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC

    Feb. 7 & 8 – The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA

  • Billboard Has New Rules for Album-Merchandise Bundled Sales

    Billboard has announced that starting Jan. 3, 2020 artists can expect changes to how their sales are tallied into the album charts in terms of album-merch bundled sales. These new regulations have been a long time coming from Billboard who in recent months has faced some criticism for how they count merchandise/album bundles towards chart qualifiers.

    To keep things fair for all artists there will be strict guidelines going forward. For a sale to count the merchandise/album has to be available for the consumer to purchase both together and separately on the artist’s official website. No sales via third-party sites will be counted. Additionally, the merchandise item sold by itself must have a lower price point than the bundle. Bundles must be priced at least $3.49 more than the stand-alone merchandise, which is the price currently for an album sale to qualify for the charts. Approved merchandise will continue to include items that are directly related to the artist or album branding.

    These changes will affect any album released going forward from Jan. 3. In regards to already released albums, further sales will only count on the charts if the sale follows the new rules. No changes will be made to the policies regarding concert ticket/album bundles since those sales are only counted if the customer redeems the album.

    During recent years fans have turned to convenient and inexpensive streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify to obtain their music which has led to album sales dropping drastically. According to Billboard, 2018 saw the lowest number of albums sold in a year when sales dropped by 17.7%.  2019 numbers are projected to be lower, with sales already falling by 19% as of Nov. 21.

    DJ Khaled tried to increase his sales status with the release of his last album Father of Asahd over the summer with little success. According to the New York Times, Billboard disqualified most of the bundle sales for his energy drink/album bundle due to inappropriate marketing. The energy drink suppliers Shop.com and its corporate company, Market America, crossed lines according to Billboard when they posted a blog encouraging their members to buy in bulk to “push DJ Khaled and Market America to No. 1!”

    The music mogul is not the only one to use bundles to increase fan engagement. Many of today’s top artists including Celine Dion, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and many more of the chart-toppers use merchandise bundles to boost album sales. Despite it being a digital age where the number of followers on Instagram and Youtube often dictates an artist’s true success, the Billboard charts still remain, for many, the gold standard for chart success.

  • Emergency Appendectomy Scraps The Front Bottoms Shows

    New Jersey folk-punk duo The Front Bottoms have been forced to cancel a string of shows this week due to Brian Sella’s emergency appendectomy on Monday.

    According to a post on the band’s Twitter feed, the surgery went well but the band was unfortunately forced to cancel all dates scheduled for this week, including one in Amityville on Thursday and Albany on Saturday while Sella recovers.

    Refunds for the shows are available at point of purchase. The Front Bottoms are next scheduled to perform at their annual curated Champagne Jam at the Fillmore Complex in Philadelphia on Dec. 21. This year’s event is sold out.

  • Mike Zito ‘Rock N’ Roll World Tour’ Stops at Daryl’s House Club

    Mike Zito, the highly praised blues-rock guitarist, will be performing at Daryl’s House Club in Pawling, NY on Thursday, Dec. 12. This is just one stop on the ‘Rock N’ Roll World Tour’ that will continue through the winter in promotion of his new album Rock N Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry.

    Mike Zito

    Released on Nov. 1 by Ruf Records, Zito’s Rock N Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry quickly rose to number one on the Billboard Blues Chart were it spent several weeks. Twenty-one guest guitarists are featured on the project in honor of the rock ‘n’ roll trailblazer. The album is produced by Mike Zito and was recorded at his Marz Studios. In addition to the album, Zito has also recently launched his own new label, Texas-based Gulf Coast Records.

    “This was a very special project for me,” says Zito. “I lived in Chuck’s hometown of St. Louis for thirty-two years, and I worked at a small musical instrument store where his drummer also happened to be employed. Chuck’s son would drop by on occasion as well. He was an icon, and rightfully so. I’ve been playing his songs since I was a kid. Needless to say, he was a tremendous influence on my career, and, of course, on many other musicians’ as well.”

    Show time is 8 p.m. with ticket prices ranging from $15 – $25. Tickets are available for purchase through Ticketweb. See all U.S. tour dates below.  

    Mike Zito – “Rock N’ Roll World Tour” US Dates

    Dec. 11 –  Infinity Music Hall – Norfolk, CT

    Dec. 12 – Daryl’s House Club – Pawling, NY

    Dec. 13 – Mauch Chunk Opera House – Jim Thorpe, PA

    Dec. 14 – Narrows Center for the Arts – Fall River, MA

    Dec. 15 – Stage One – Fairfield, CT

    Dec. 17 –  City Winery – Washington, DC

    Dec. 18 – Packard Music Hall  – Warren, OH

    Dec. 20 – Dylan’s – Port Arthur, TX

    Dec. 21 – Jefferson Theater – Beaumont, TX

    Dec. 26 – Kessler Theater  – Dallas, TX

    Dec. 27 –  Dosey Doe – Houston, TX

    Dec. 28 – Rock ‘N’ Bowl – Lafayette, LA

    Feb. 6 – Knucklehead’s Saloon – Kansas City, MO

    Feb. 7 – The Blue Note – Columbia, MO

    Feb.8 – Delmar Hall – St. Louis, MO

    Feb.9 – Space – Evanston, IL

    Feb. 11 – Zoo Bar – Lincoln, NE

  • Cousin Earth announce lineup for 9th Annual Wintercourse

    Brooklyn group Cousin Earth will hold their 9th annual Wintercourse on Saturday, January 4 at Knitting Factory. Joining the show will be The Breakfast, Of Clocks and Clouds and Medusa’s Disco. Check out last year’s Wintercourse event and NYS’ coverage here, and check out footage below.

    A one-night-only “music and comedy festival,” was created nine years ago by Corey J. Feldman of Cousin Earth. It has since evolved to focus mainly on the music, though comedy is always present. This year’s festivities will be hosted by stand-up comedian and SiriusXM radio personality, Brett Siddell; and feature performances by Medusa’s Disco, Of Clocks And Clouds, The Breakfast (featuring members of Kung Fu,) and of course, Brooklyn’s own Cousin Earth. 

    The evening of music kicks off on Saturday, January 4 at The Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Ave.) Doors are at 7:30pm and the music kicks off at 8pm. The show is 21+ and ID will be required. Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 at the door and can be purchased online. 

     “I’m proud that we’ve kept this party going for nine years. It feels like a real tradition,” says Corey J.Feldman, ukulele bassist for Cousin Earth. “It keeps getting better and better every year. The band and I are really looking forward to this one.”

    Over the past nine years, Wintercourse has gravitated towards focusing more on music and has featured performances by acts such as Bella’s Bartok, Funky Dawgz Brass Band, The Reformed Whores, Space Bacon, Chromatropic, Teddy Midnight, The Matty Carl Project, Mercury Landing, Stevie and The Lion and many others.

  • Matisyahu’s Festival of Light Returns to Brooklyn December 29

    Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Matisyahu has announced his annual Festival of Lights show for 2019, scheduled for December 29 at Brooklyn Steel. The special evening falls on the last night of Chanukah and will feature performances from Matisyahu, Bedouin Soundclash and Your Old Droog, as well as other special guests to be announced.

    Founded in 2006, Matisyahu‘s Festival of Light is a concert celebration occurring during or throughout the Chanukah season. It presents a community of like-minded musicians to celebrate the season’s spirit of unity and to transcend barriers. The show kicks off at 6:30pm

    The Festival of Light show wraps a string of tour dates across North America, with Matisyahu playing the likes of Salt Lake City, Aspen, Tulsa, St. Louis, Montreal and Buffalo alongside reggae/rock band Bedouin Soundclash.

    Perhaps one of the most eclectic talents in popular music today, singer-songwriter Matisyahu has been captivating audiences since he burst onto the scene in late 2005. His infectious mix of reggae, hip hop and soul has attracted the praise of a multitude of fans and critics alike, with his performances showcasing a raw expression of his spirituality to thousands of people across the world.

    Matisyahu's Festival of Light

    Matisyahu Tour Dates

    Dec. 5 – Belly Up Aspen – Aspen, CO

    Dec. 6 – Center for the Arts – Crested Butte, CO

    Dec. 7 – Gothic Theatre – Englewood, CO

    Dec. 8 – Aggie Theatre – Fort Collins, CO

    Dec. 11 – Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN

    Dec. 12 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK

    Dec. 13 – Delmar Hall – St. Louis, MO

    Dec. 20 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY

    Dec. 21 – Corona Theatre – Montreal, QC

    Dec. 22 – Higher Ground Ballroom – South Burlington, VT

    Dec. 26 – Ridgefield Playhouse – Ridgefield, CT

    Dec. 27 – Greenwich Odeum – East Greenwich, RI

    Dec. 28 – Tupelo Music Hall – Derry, NJ

    Dec. 29 – Festival of Light – Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, NY

  • Celebrate the life of Jerry Garcia with all-star lineup at The Capitol Theatre, Dec. 13-14.

    The songbook of Jerry Garcia will once again fill the halls of The Capitol Theatre, with ‘Home for the Holidays,’ on December 13 and 14.

    The two nights will feature Melvin Seals, Oteil Burbridge, Tom Hamilton, Duane Trucks, Jacklyn LaBranch, and Lady Chi joining together on stage and bringing the community together as they celebrate what would have been Garcia’s 77th year. Spread a little holiday cheer with the Garcia Family at a special party in Garcia’s featuring DJ Jerrbrother of the Garcia’s Forest at LOCKN’. More info can be found here.

    celebrate jerry garcia

  • We Banjo 3 Start 2020 Tour in New York State

    Celtic Bluegrass pioneers We Banjo 3 will commence their 2020 Rise & Shine tour in New York State. Night one takes place January 11 at The Stanley in Utica. The following day they’ll be at the Landmark Theater in Port Washington. They circle back to New York later in the month to play Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs on January 23. Ticket information is available on We Banjo 3’s website.

    We Banjo 3 is comprised of two sets of brothers – Enda & Fergal Scahill and Martin & David Howley – two of which still reside in Galaway, Ireland, and two of which have relocated to Nashville, Tennessee. Their sixth release, Roots to Rise Live, debuted at the beginning of August at number one on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums Chart spending four weeks in the peak position. Their 2018 album Haven re-entered the charts at the number five position in August as well, making them the first Irish band to hold two top-five chart positions simultaneously.  

    We Banjo 3 Tour Dates

    Sat, 1/11–Utica, NY–The Stanley Theatre
    Sun, 1/12–Port Washington, NY–Landmark on Mainstreet
    Tues, 1/14–Sellersville, PA–Sellersville Theater 
    Wed, 1/15–Erie, PA–Walker Recital Hall
    Fri, 1/17–Cincinnati, OH–Memorial Hall
    Sat, 1/18–Columbus, OH–Newport Music Hall
    Sun, 1/19–Grand Rapids, MI–Listening Room 
    Wed, 1/22–Old Saybrook, CT–Katharine Hepburn Cult Art Ctr
    Thurs, 1/23–Saratoga Springs, NY–Café Lena
    Fri, 1/24–Portland, ME–Aura
    Sat, 1/25–Somerville, MA–Somerville Theatre
    Fri, 2/21–Bellevue, WA—Wintergrass
    Sat, 2/22–Bellevue, WA–Wintergrass
    Sun, 2/23–Portland, OR–Aladdin Theater
    Tues, 2/25–Loveland, CO–Rialto Theater 
    Thurs, 2/27–South Orange, NJ–South Orange PAC
    Fri, 2/28–State College, PA–The State Theatre 
    Sat, 2/29–Frederick, MD–Weinberg Center for the Arts
    Sun, 3/1–Richmond, VA–Tin Pan Listening Room
    Wed, 3/4–Kent, OH–Kent Stage
    Thurs, 3/5–Ann Arbor, MI–The Ark
    Fri, 3/6–Ann Arbor, MI–The Ark
    Sat, 3/7–Lafayette, IN–Long Center for the Performing Arts
    Sun, 3/8–Chicago, IL–City Winery
    Wed, 3/11–Mineral Point, WI–The Mineral Point Opera House
    Thurs, 3/12–Viroqua, WI–Historic Temple Theatre
    Fri, 3/13–Green Bay, WI–Meyer Theatre
    Sat, 3/14–Milwaukee, WI–Pabst Theatre
    Sun, 3/15–Minneapolis, MN–The Cedar Cultural Center
    Tues, 3/17–Hailey, ID–Liberty Theatre
    Wed, 3/18–Hailey, ID–Liberty Theatre
    Fri, 3/20–Kansas City, MO–The Truman
    Sat, 3/21–St Louis, MO–Delmar Hall

  • Maroon 5’s Announces Expansive 2020 Tour – Three NY Dates on Tap

    Maroon 5 has announced 2020 North American summer tour dates scheduled to start on May 30 in Chula Vista, California. The tour will include Meghan Trainor and Leon Bridges for selected shows and will make three different stops in New York before wrapping up on Sept. 17 in Tampa, Florida.

    They will be performing all across North America and performing at some of the largest venues in their career. Their three New York shows are in Flushing at Citi Field on June 25, Darien Center at Darien Lake Amphitheater on June 27, and Saratoga Springs at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Sept. 6. 

    Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, Dec. 13 at 12:00 p.m.via Ticketmaster. For more information on the tour visit Maroon 5’s website.

    Find the full tour lineup below including previously scheduled shows:

    Feb. 23 —  Foro Sol – Mexico City, MX 

    Feb. 28 —  Estadio Bicentenario de la Florida – Santiago, CL 

    March 1 —  Allinaz Parque – Sao Paulo, BR 

    March 3 —  Estadio Mane Garrincha – Brasilia, BR

    March 5 — Classic Hall –  Recife, BR 

    March 7 —  Estacionamento da Jeunesse – Rio de Janeiro, BR 

    March 10 —  Estadio Centenario – Montevideo, UY 

    March 12 —  Campo Argentino de Polo – Buenos Aires, AR

    March 14 —  Parque Salitre Magico – Bogota, CO 

    May 30 —  North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre – Chula Vista, CA 

    May 31 —  Ak-Chin Pavilion – Phoenix, AZ #

    June 3 —  Isleta Amphitheater – Alburquerque, NM #

    June 5 —  Pepsi Center – Denver, CO  #

    June 7 —  Austin360 Amphitheater – Austin, TX #

    June 8 —  The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – Houston, TX #

    June 10 —  Dos Equis Pavilion – Dallas, TX #

    June 13 —  Wrigley Field – Chicago, IL # %

    June 14 —  Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center – Noblesville, IN #

    June 16 —  DTE Energy Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI #

    June 18 —  Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, OH #

    June 19 —  KeyBank Pavilion – Burgettstown, PA  #

    June 24 —  Fenway Park – Boston, MA # %

    June 25 —  Citi Field – Flushing, NY # %

    June 27 —  Darien Lake Amphitheater – Darien Center, NY  #

    June 28 —  Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON #

    Aug. 2 —  Simmons Bank Arena – North Little Rock, AR #

    Aug. 4 —  Chesapeake Energy Arena – Oklahoma City, OK  #

    Aug. 6 —  Pinnacle Bank Arena – Lincoln, NE #

    Aug. 8 —  Fargodome – Fargo, ND #

    Aug. 9 —  Xcel Energy Center – St. Paul, MN #

    Aug. 12 —  Rogers Place – Edmonton, AB #

    Aug. 14 —  Rogers Arena – Vancouver, BC #

    Aug. 15 —  White River Amphitheatre – Auburn, WA  #

    Aug. 17 —  Moda Center – Portland, OR  #

    Aug. 19 —  Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA  #

    Aug. 21 —  Banc of California Stadium – Los Angeles, CA  # %

    Aug. 24 —  USANA Amphitheatre – Salt Lake City, UT #

    Aug. 27 —  Sprint Center – Kansas City, MO #

    Aug. 29 —  Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Maryland Heights, MO  #

    Aug. 30 —  American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Milwaukee, WI #

    Sept. 1 —  Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH #

    Sept. 3 —  BB&T Pavilion – Camden, NJ #

    Sept. 5 — Hersheypark Stadium –  Hershey, PA #

    Sept. 6 —  Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY  #

    Sept. 9 —  XFINITY Theatre – Hartford, CT  #

    Sept. 11 —  Jiffy Lube Live – Bristow, VA  #

    Sept. 12 —  Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek – Raleigh, NC  #

    Sept. 14 —  PNC Music Pavilion – Charlotte, NC  #

    Sept. 16 —  Coral Sky Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL #

    Sept. 17 —  MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre –  Tampa, FL #

    # = w/ Meghan Trainor

    % = w/ Leon Bridges

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