NYS Music 20​19

Category: Brooklyn

  • HeadCount announces Brooklyn Bowl benefit show with JRAD

    Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD) will play a benefit concert for the non-profit organization HeadCount at Brooklyn Bowl on Monday, November 25, making their first Brooklyn Bowl appearance in over two years.

    The show will feature a special setlist voted on entirely by fans, a fitting representation of HeadCount’s mission of registering voters and promoting democratic participation. Fans can vote now to pick five songs from a list of 160 that will be tallied and then built into a full, two-set show by Joe.

    headcount JRAD

    Funds raised from the show will be used to help HeadCount hire full-time organizers in cities around the country to register voters for the upcoming 2020 election. This will mark the first time since HeadCount was founded in 2004 that the organization will hire full-time employees in specific cities and states. Descriptions of the positions, can be found here.

    Members of JRAD have a long history of appearing at HeadCount benefit concerts. Back in 2004, Russo and keyboardist Marco Benevento joined Phish’s Mike Gordon for a set at the first HeadCount benefit concert, which led to many future collaborations. That same year, guitarist Scott Metzger appeared with his band RANA at a HeadCount event on the eve of the election. Four years later, Metzger served as musical director at a benefit show featuring Russo, guitarist Tom Hamilton and bassist Dave Dreiwitz. He then musical directed a similar event in 2012. Most recently, Benevento appeared at HeadCount’s “Soundtrack to History,” an election night concert in 2016.

    The show will also be streamed live on Relix.com. Tickets on sales are as follow:

    Band Facebook Presale: Wednesday, November 13 at 12 Noon ET – ends at 10pm ET

    Venue Presale: Thursday, November 14 at 12 Noon ET – ends at 10pm ET

    Regular On Sale: Friday, November 15 at 12 Noon ET

    The band Facebook presale is password protected; JRAD will issue the ticket link and password on their Facebook page at Noon ET on Wednesday, November 13th.

  • Grateful Shred Opens East West Tour With Three Night Run at Brooklyn Bowl

    With no shortage of bands playing homage to the Grateful Dead catalog, Los Angeles based Grateful Shred is quickly distinguishing themselves in this crowded space. The band welcomed Adam MacDougall, formerly of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood and bandmate of bassist Dan Horne with Circles Around the Sun, on B3 and keyboards to kick off their East West tour last night at the Brooklyn Bowl. This was the first of three consecutive shows at the Bowl and second such run this calendar year after an earlier run this past March. Joining MacDougall were founding members Horne and guitar trio Austin McCutchen, Sam Blasucci, and Clay Finch, along with a pair of drummers.

    Grateful Shred

    The three guitar format is largely responsible for what gives Grateful Shred their signature sound, and likely their name as well, though Horne’s bass is also a driving force. MacDougall made his presence known early and often, treating the crowd to some masterful work on the Hammond and Moog. “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” a Rolling Stones tune from the JGB catalog, got the crowd into an early groove, Sam Blasucci on lead vocals. Like one of those old what’s wrong with this picture cartoons, it might take the casual observer a minute to notice that southpaw Blasucci is shredding his lefty solos on a righty guitar played upside down, a la Jimi Hendrix. “New Minglewood Blues” was next with a fierce solo from MacDougall before a return to the JGB catalog with Jimmy Cliff’s “Harder They Come.” “Scarlet Begonias” > “Fire on the Mountain” preceded the set, closing with “Deal.”

    Grateful Shred

    The second set got underway with a frenzied “Cumberland Blues” featuring gorgeous harmonies from the three guitarists on top of a sweltering bass line from Horne. “Mexicali Blues” was next, the third song of the night with blues in the title. “Reuben and Cerise” was the first JGB cover actually written by Garcia with lyrics by Robert Hunter, though the Grateful Dead did play it four times, as well. A lovely “Mississippi Half-Step” sung by Clay with piercing solos to match was up next before a “Playing in the Band” > “Mountains of the Moon” > “Playing in the Band” combination that went deep and got a little spacey, sans drum solo.

    The set closed with a final offering from the JGB catalog, Allen Toussaint’s “Get Out of My Life Woman” before a fiery “Jack Straw” closed. After a brief respite, “US Blues” took the encore slot and wrapped up the 90-minute set.

    Grateful Shred

    Grateful Shred returns to Brooklyn Bowl to finish their run Friday and Saturday before heading back to California to finish the East West tour. All three Brooklyn Bowl shows have free webcasts on the Relix channel. Check out last night’s stream below.

    Set One: Let’s Spend the Night Together, New Minglewood Blues, Harder They Come, Scarlet Begonias > Fire on the Mountain, Deal.

    Set Two: Cumberland Blues, Mexicali Blues, Reuben and Cerise, Mississippi Half-Step, Playin’ in the Band > Mountains of the Moon > Playing in the Band, Get Out of My Life Woman, Jack Straw.

    Encore: U.S. Blues.

  • Hearing Aide: Citris ‘Delusions of Glamour’

    Brooklyn’s Citris has an animated energy synonymous with an experienced on the L-Train, when some bare chested entrepreneurs decided to bust into a dance routine. It’s a flash of joy when the rest of the day remains unsurprising; it’s that sort of spontaneity and uncertainty that Delusions of Glamour inspires.

    Citris has grunge rock principles, but remind listeners of experimental metal. While they’ve been described as a ‘pop grunge act,’ “Hell is a Place on Earth” vibrated with metal nuances, instantly. It’s Gwar infused with System of a Down’s political and social angst.

    Cirtis’ Angelina Torreano experiments with vocal passages, vocoder layering, and finds a way to lyrically loop varying emotional moods within a single song.

    Delusions of Glamour will also appeal to fans of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors. It has solid, intricate drumming, lyrical themes of toxic relationships and societal disagreements, and incredible instrumentation throughout. They’re never scared to have intricate harmonies, with little bass lines like in the song “Genetic Makeup” that keep your ears glued to the track. Citris is a group to stream and enjoy during the remaining bitter sweet days of autumn.

    Key Tracks: Genetic Makeup, Hell is a Place on Earth

  • Flatbush Zombies: A Halloween Special

    The Flatbush Zombies drew a huge costumed crowd that packed Brooklyn Steel on Halloween night. Erick Arc Elliott opened as a DJ, playing noise-music of a sort that jumped from soothing jazz to banging trap. This kicked off the chain of shenanigans that would precede the show.

    Meechy Darko emerged, in a bright yellow leather patched suit and heavy clown face paint, as the Joker to kick off the costume contest – the grand prize being $1000. They brought up ten selected members of the audience and let the rest of the crowd decide on who the winner was. The list of costumes at Flatbush Zombies included but was not limited to a Spiderman, Frozone, Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain, and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. They went down the line with hovering hand over heads and listened for the cheers. Then it was down to the final three: Frozone, Sally, and a masked killer. The crowd overwhelmingly hailed Frozone as king of the costume contest, who then proceeded to deliver a heartfelt acceptance speech before being abruptly kicked off stage by a raging Meechy.

    After a set change, another Joker entered the stage waving and boasting his wrestling championship belt. Zombie Juice was following, promising to relinquish him of it. A fierce fight ensued with all sorts of jump kicks and WWE slams. When the dust finally cleared, Zombie Juice stood victorious.

    Flatbush Zombies
    Flatbush Zombies

  • Brooklyn art-pop group San Fermin ‘Run Away’ with Carly Rae Jepsen Cover

    San Fermin, an art-pop project from Brooklyn, have shared an acoustic cover of Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit single “Run Away with Me.” Reinterpreted by bandleader Ellis Ludwig-Leone, San Fermin’s cover finds vocalists Claire Wellin and Karlie Bruce harmonizing for a warmly emotive take on the Emotion classic. 

    Regarding the acoustic rendition, Ellis Ludwig-Leone says, “Carly Rae’s version is a perfect party song, with that synth lead and four on the floor bass drum, so we went the other way with it. The lyrics are actually pretty intimate and lend themselves well to a quieter version. It was fun for us, as a band with eight members, to do something truly stripped down.” 

    “Run Away with Me” follows the October release of the group’s newest album The Cormorant I. Currently in the midst of their North American tour, San Fermin will continue with headlining dates across the U.S. and Canada before concluding with a hometown finale at New York’s Brooklyn Steel on December 6. Get ticketing information and details here.

    San Fermin is the project of Brooklyn-based composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ellis Ludwig-Leone, who pairs lushly avant-garde arrangements with pop-minded melodies that are brought to life by his bandmates. Formed in 2012 – shortly after Ludwig-Leone completed a job assisting composer Nico Muhly – San Fermin made their debut with a self-titled 2013 release hailed by NPR as “one of the year’s most ambitious, evocative, and moving records.” With the 2015 release of Jackrabbit and 2017’s Belong, San Fermin garnered extensive critical acclaim, selling out shows worldwide and appearing at major festivals and opening for the likes St. Vincent, The National, Arctic Monkeys, alt-J and more. Having recently signing to Sony Music Masterworks, San Fermin usher in a new chapter with the release of The Cormorant I, the first of an eventual two-part project encompassing the scope of their new trajectory.

    San Fermin

  • Brooklyn R&B singer Amare Symoné Announces the Release of “Ellipsis”

    After releasing singles “L.B.E.,” “Losing,” and “Insecure” earlier this year, Brooklyn based R&B singer Amare Symoné released her latest single “Ellipsis” on October 24. Utilizing her inseparable ties of Jazz and R&B, Symoné creates a modern fusion of the unique two genres. A dissonant sample loops throughout the track, as Amare’s vocals float throughout in her ever-confident delivery.

    This sex-positive track finds Symoné sorting through her head wondering why they both just can’t read the signs. Wrapped up in her own thoughts, this song looks to fill in the blanks, or in other words the ‘Ellipsis’ of her own feelings.

    Symoné, a California born and Brooklyn bred singer-songwriter, poet, activist, and womanist, graduated from Professional Performing Arts High School in NYC. A student at Columbia College working towards a Bachelor’s degree in music business, Amare is inspired and influenced by Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Destiny’s Child, Etta James and Eryn Allen Kane.

  • Dr. Martens Music & Film Series Set to Take Place

    The first ever Dr. Martens Music & Film Series is set to take place on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at the Superchief Gallery, located on 1628 Jefferson Avenue in Queens. The event—set to begin at 7:00 p.m.—will consist of a group of performers and entertainers, sharing their stories of resilience and determination. They explore the trials and tribulations that come with a career in entertainment while realizing their own artistic vision in the music industry.

    Curated by New York-based filmmaker Vincent Martell and Los Angeles based filmmaker Erik Rojas, the series will consist of L.A. and NYC concert events as well as accompanying short documentary films that will provide an intimate look at the daily lives of working musicians.

    The confirmed artists for the Dr. Martens Music & Film Series include Brooklyn’s own JunglePussy—who is being promoted as the headline performer for the New York City portion of the event. Rapper De’wayne Jackson, female rock group L.A. Witch and labelmates Sad Girl, Los Angeles punk-rock quartet The Paranoyds, hip-hop soul duo OSHUN, Afro-Latinx group Combo Chimbita, New York-based R&B group Phony Ppl, punk band Death Valley Girls, singer-songwriter Samia and r&b songstress PJ.

    For those who wish to rsvp, it can be done so by emailing hello@primeprgroup.com.

  • BRIC Jazz Fest Marathon Runs Through Brooklyn

    Louis Cole created a jazz-trance dance celebration in the Ballroom, while Tia Fuller brought a more traditional jazz approach with horns to the Stoop. These are just two of the artists from the third night of the 2019 BRIC JazzFest Marathon. This year’s festival led up to a three-day music marathon, with simultaneous performances over three stages, held at the BRIC House in downtown Brooklyn.

    Antonio Sanchez and his band

    Night three featured many jazz musicians from around the globe: Kassa Overall, Louis Cole, Antonio Sanchez, Myra Melford’s Snowy Egret, Claudia Acuña, Tia Fuller, and Boyfriends, featuring Joe Russo, Ben Perowsky, Josh Kaufman and Stuart Bogie.

    Tia Fuller

    Louis Cole was a one man jazz band, playing drums and synthesizer while looping his drum and bass heavy trance beats with pedals and a laptop. He also provided outstanding vocals and had a guest saxophone sit in during the encore.

    Louis Cole

    Boyfriends is an ambient rhythm exploration with Joe Russo (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead) and Ben Perowsky (John Scofield, John Medeski) on drums and percussion, multi-instrumentalist and producer Josh Kaufman (The National, Bob Weir), and Stuart Bogie (Arcade Fire, Iron and Wine, Antibalas) on woodwinds/keyboards. Both Russo and Perowsky showed off their subtle yet incredible drum and percussion skills.

    Joe Russo

    This year’s JazzFest might be over, but BRIC puts on awesome jazz programming throughout the year at this delightful venue. Head on over to their website for details about future events.

  • Reggae trio New Kingston will rock2roots at Music Hall of Williamsburg this Halloween

    Brooklyn-based family band New Kingston continues to be one of the most prolific and relatable bands in the U.S. reggae community. Their rock2roots showcases the many styles and vibrations New Kingston brings both on the road and in the studio. Their latest single, “Bring Your Rays,” released via Easy Star Records, gives listeners a taste of their trademark sound.

    Comprised of a trio of brothers – Tahir Panton (keys/vocals), Courtney Panton Jr. (drums/vocals), and Stephen Suckarie (guitar/vocals) – New Kingston first came together as a band performing for friends and neighbors under the watchful eye of their father (and bassist) Courtney Panton Sr. Dubbing themselves New Kingston to reflect upon both their Jamaican heritage and their home in New York City, the fusion of these two identities, both cultural roots and Brooklyn roots, guides their musical and stylistic direction.

    rock2roots

    They’ll perform at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday, October 31, after a summer of putting a focus on singles for their rock2roots series. Tahir Panton states, “The rock2roots series will showcase the wide range of our musical styles that we’ve been crafting for over a decade.”

    According to the band, “Bring Your Rays” was inspired by humanity’s collective soul, adding, “In this changing world, love is something we need more of. It will solve more than we know. So be the sunlight in the darkness and “bring your rays”!” It’s the perfect follow up to their fiery last single release “Fyah Nuh Hot Like You,” which dropped in March.

  • In Focus: Charli XCX Craze for Two Sold-Out Nights at Terminal 5

    Hot on the heels of her third full-length LP, Charli XCX closed out her US tour with two sold-out shows at Terminal 5. Crowds packed in to get as close to the front as possible, nearly an hour before her set time. Once Charli took the stage, the crowd screamed, cheered, and sang along to every single word of each song – whether old or new material.

    Charli XCX
    Charli XCX at Terminal 5 – Photo: David Reichmann

    Opening for Charli was a fan favorite, Allie X, who brought a dark and brooding emo presence in contrast with the bright, pop sound Charli’s fans know her for. Often facing away from the crowd with her eyes tightly shut, Allie X seemed to get lost in her own performance, dancing and dramatically gesturing in front of a captive audience.

    Charli XCX
    Allie X at Terminal 5 – Photo: David Reichmann

    Once Charli came on stage, she delighted the crowd with each selection on her setlist, ranging from chart-topping radio hits like “1999,” “Boys” and “I Don’t Care,” to more obscure tracks from her mixtapes and EPs such as “Vroom Vroom” and “Track 10.”

    Charli XCX
    Charli XCX at Terminal 5 – Photo: David Reichmann

    Countless fans in attendance waved Pride flags and dressed in drag. And during her 20-track setlist, Charli took several opportunities to thank her fans in the LGBTQ+ community for their support of her music. She also thanked Troye Sivan, a prominent member of the community and a featured artist on her hit single “1999,” who had joined her on stage the night before at the same venue to perform that song.

    Charli XCX at Terminal 5 – Photo: David Reichmann

    Before closing out her performance, Charli asked the crowd to go wild, get on top of each other’s shoulders, and turn this into “the best F***ing pop concert you’ve ever seen.” Ready, willing, and able, an already-drenched crowd helped Charli XCX finish her US tour with a smash.

    Charli XCX at Terminal 5 – Photo: David Reichmann

    Charli XCX is scheduled to begin her Europe tour shortly, and her new Netflix show, “I’m With the Band” releases November 15. Her latest album, Charli is available now on most streaming music platforms.

Built in Breakdance