NYS Music 20​19

Category: NYC Metro

  • In Focus: Brooklyn Bowl Debut For The Allman Betts Band

    Spring adds new life and new beauty to all that is. As the cold winter days wind down and the sun shines a little longer, new life is brought back into the dark places. There is no one who needs that more than the Allman Brothers family right now, after terrible loss almost halted everything. It looked like the end for many fans and this legendary music. That mantle of great live music tradition was left in limbo until The Allman Betts Band made their highly anticipated debut at Brooklyn Bowl.

    Devon Allman and Duane Betts have joined forces to create The Allman Betts Band, with Barry Oakley Jr. (Son of Original Allman Brothers Band Bassist), Johnny Stachela, percussionists R. Scott Bryan and John Lum, to feature new music, songs from their solo projects and classic Allman Brothers songs in honor of The Allman Brothers’ 50th anniversary.

    Wednesday night was the inaugural show for the band and fans of all ages came out in curiosity to see what this band was going to bring to the table. By the third song, when Duane played the opening notes to his father’s “Blue Sky,” it became very clear that this band would be a force to be reckoned with. Along with amazing renditions of “Dreams” and “In Memory OF Elzabeth Reed,” this band showed that it had more to offer for the Allman legacy. Original songs “All Night” and “Good Ol’ Days,” both are set to be on the bands debut album, that will be released early summer.

    Don’t miss this band. They are fantastic; Proof that their music is as thick, and rich, as blood.

    Setlist: All Night, Melodies are Memomries, Blue Sky, Left My Heart In Memphis, Taking Time, In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed, Multi Colored Lady, Seven Turns, Mahalo, Purple Rain, Dreams, Good Ol’ Days,

    Encore: Shake Down Street

  • Hearing Aide: Bad Luck ‘Drug Phase’

    Bad Luck’s new EP, Drug Phase, is the perfect vessel for launching a comeback. Bad Luck. continues to tick all the right boxes: fast tempos, aggressive guitar work, pop-influenced melodies and clever lyrics. The solo-project-turned-band cranked out a couple promising releases in 2014 and 2015, then went quiet until last year, when they announced signing with Take This To Heart Records. Fortune seems to be favoring Bad Luck. as they enter this new phase of their career. Bad Luck. leads with “Impressive Depressive,” in which they channel some serious My Chemical Romance vibes with their dark lyrics and edgy riffs. The mood lightens up in the next track, “Mean Dudes.” The uptempo bubblegum-pop serves as a perfect contrast to lyrics, oozing with sarcasm and disdain. The title track “Drug Phrase” has more bite to it. The gritty, grungy song is a brutally honest reflection on a dark time: Used to say I’m okay/ I could try a bit/ Just for the hell of it. The EP switches gears again with “Sheep Song.” Even though the lyrics are about herd mentality and blindly following along, it’s a challenge not to sing along to the “ba ba ba ba” chorus. This is followed by “Wish We Still Talked.” Abrasive vocals belt out raw emotional lyrics riddled with regret. The layered vocals are reminiscent of Taking Back Sunday. Drug Phase ends with a track called “P.S. Wiffle Ball.” The jangly tune on acoustic guitar is accompanied by whistling and a sing-song melody. The simplicity of this track evokes nostalgia for youthful ignorance and bliss.
    The collection creates a story arc that follows the rise, fall and rebirth of the jaded-yet-relatable protagonist. But unlike most concept-based albums, each of the songs can stand on their own and still make sense. There’s no filler or transitional tracks. The music is compactly arranged – tight, well-paced and cohesive. All music and lyrics were written by vocalist/guitarist Dominick Fox. His brother Joseph Fox plays bass. The band is rounded out with Charlie Caruso on lead guitar and Michael Sichel on drums. Drug Phase was engineered, produced and mixed by Jim Wirt at Crushtone Studios, and mastered by John Naclerio at Nada Studios. Drug Phase is out now on Take This To Heart Records. Purchase merch and music directly or buy/stream on your favorite major music platforms. Bad Luck. celebrates the release with a four-date Northeast tour that started in Boston last night, and hits Albany today, Brooklyn on March 30 and Philly on March 31. They’re also slated to play BLED FEST in May. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates. Key Tracks: Impressive Depressive, Sheep Song, Wish We Still Talked

  • In Focus: The Mighty O.A.R.

    For two decades O.A.R. has continuously shown why they are one of the top acts in music. From sold out shows in some of the most famous venues across the country to multiple chart toping hits, and millions of albums sold worldwide. With the release of their ninth album The Mighty O.A.R. the band has embodied what it means to be mighty.

    The Mighty O.A.R.

    A few days before the albums release date the band invited a small amount of media and fans to Sony Square in New York City for a performance of some of the new material and a short Q&A. The state of the art Sony space worked with the band to set up something that replicated what happened in the studio, lead singer Marc Roberge Said “The reason why we did this was because we wanted you all to see this, this is kinda what we do everyone has their job their world we sit in rooms like this and create something from nothing.” They played two tracks off the new album “Miss You All The Time” and “California” in an acoustic round setting showing the amazing bond twenty years can bring between artists.  

    The new album is out today, Friday March 29, and brings a whole new approach to making a record than what fans and the band are used to hearing. Up until now O.A.R. has made records the same way just about everyone else makes records, run and gun. You work and record straight through until the album is complete, but for their first album in five years the band wanted to try something new and perfect the craft. O.A.R. changed the way they wrote and adopted the motto “is it aging well” does that song sit well with the band day’s, weeks later. This album is deep and meaningful with inspiring lyrics that just make you feel good.

    O.A.R will hit the road this summer in support of this album be sure to check them out, and see for your self the power of The Mighty O.A.R.

  • Keeping The Blues Alive With Samantha Fish

    On Thursday, March 21, blues artist Samantha Fish played to a sold out audience at Sony Hall. The historic vaudeville theatre from the 1930s, recently renovated and reopened as New York City’s newest premier music venue, was at capacity for a night of the blues. Now as Buddy Guy once said, “The Blues will never die, it may go away for awhile but there will always be someone who loves it enough to chase it and make it relevant again.” Samantha Fish is continuing the blues legacy and making fans pay attention again. Her deep soulful voice combined with the fact that she shreds on guitar in four inch heels makes her a must see.

    Setlist: American Dream, Hello Stranger, Don’t Say You Love Me, You Can’t Go, Blame It On The Moon, Lost My Self, Little Baby, Blood In The Water, No Angels, Chills and Fever, Need You More, Somebody’s Always Tryin, Gone For Good, Daughters, ENCORE: Crow Jane

  • In Focus: Widespread Panic Let it Rock at The Capitol Theatre

    Widespread Panic kicked off their sold out 3-night run at The Capitol Theatre with a traditional tribute to the Grateful Dead, playing “Let it Rock,” an occasional feature of setlists, off 1974’s Mars Hotel. From there the band performed a show of originals with a few choice covers thrown in late in the second set.

    Set 1 highlights included “C Brown,” a 10 minute “Shut up and Drive,” “Pleas” > “Henry Parsons Died” and “B of D” > “Conrad” to close the set out. Set 2 opened up with “You Got Yours” that segued very tightly into “Up All Night,” which has been taken out for excellent stretched out jams as of late. Fan favorite “Ribs n Whiskey” was met with huge cheers from the crowd, and Panic tour manager Steve Lopez hopped on percussion with Sunny Ortiz for War’s “Slippin into Darkness,” which paired with J.J. Cale’s “Travelin’ Light” to close the set. An encore of “Pilgrims” and Funkadelic’s “Red Hot Mama” closed out Night 1 of Widespread’s first show at The Capitol Theatre since 1991, and fans are pumped for what Saturday and Sunday night will bring. Stream last nights show courtesy of Panicstream.

    Friday, March 22

    Set 1: Let It Rock > Radio Child, C Brown, Dyin’ Man, Shut Up And Drive > Pleas > Henry Parsons Died, Sundown Betty > B Of D > Conrad The Caterpillar

    Set 2: You Got Yours > Up All Night > Blackout Blues, Party at Your Mama’s House > Ribs And Whiskey, Steven’s Cat > Fishwater > Drum Solo > Drums And Bass > Fishwater > Slippin’ Into Darkness* > Travelin’ Light

    Encore: Pilgrims > Red Hot Mama

    Saturday, March 23

    Set 1: Wondering > Mr Soul, Hope in a Hopeless world > 1×1, Christmas Katie > Good Morning Little Schoolgirl > Who do you belong to?, Though Sausage, Bowlegged Woman > Action Man > Bowlegged Woman

    Set 2: Saint Ex, Hatfield, Ride me High, Stop Breaking Down, Machine > Barstools > You Should be Glad > Contentment Blues > Goin Out West, Chilly Water

    Encore: Puppy Sleeps > Flatfoot Floozy

    Sunday March 24

    Set 1: Holden Oversoul > Makes Sense to Me, Let’s Get Down to Business, Little Lilly, Airplane, Jaded Tourist, Blue Indian, The Last Straw, Life During Wartime

    Set 2: Lawyers, Guns and Money, Little Kin, Love Tractor, I’m Not Alone, North > One Kind Favor, Bust it Big, Mercy > The Other One Jam > I’m So Glad, Postcard, Ain’t Life Grand

    Encore: This Part of Town, Low Spark of High Heeled Boys > Disco > Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature

     

  • In Focus: Antibalas Celebrates 20 Years at Brooklyn Bowl

    With lead singer Amayo preaching ‘deep unconditional love’ throughout the night, Antibalas performed to a sold out crowd on the second night of their 20th anniversary run at Brooklyn Bowl this past Saturday.

    The fusion of African and Cuban music that Antibalas has brought to audiences for two decades is one that is rich in history and message, bringing the influence and sounds of Fela Kuti to a new generation. For nearly two hours, the 12-piece band and special guests took to the stage, creating a rich, full sound that moved the captive and diverse audience. Here’s to at least two more decades of Antibalas!

  • Bad Luck release “Sheep Song” off upcoming EP ‘Drug Phase’

    Brooklyn’s Bad Luck has announced a brand new EP Drug Phase to be released on March 29 via Take This To Heart Records, and has released the infectious new single “Sheep Song.” Listen below and on all platforms here.

    Bad Luck. started out as a Long Island solo project before the band came together in Florida in 2014, when they released Cold Bones and Noise in Your Head the following year. These two compact yet abrasive pop-punk releases placed nostalgia and neuroses on the same plane. “Sheep Song” showcases the dynamics that made 2014 “Cold Bones” LP from Bad Luck an underground hit. The whole song is a chorus that will have you singing ba-ba-ba in under 3 minutes. 

    bad luck sheep song

    Anchored by brothers Dominick and Joe Fox and colored in by a rotating cast of touring friends, Bad Luck.’s second wind offers the same great pop hooks chased with hard-hitting backdrops that originally captured crowds’ hearts.  Having since returned to their home base and their homegrown mentality, Bad Luck. is looking to add to their short but sweet legacy and score a longer winning streak. They embark on a four-show tour later this month.

    bad luck sheep song


  • New York Series: Billy Joel “New York State of Mind”

    Among the songs that celebrate New York City, “New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel, from his 1976 album Turnstiles, has become a fan favorite in regular rotation at his concerts, in particular at Madison Square Garden. While the song was never released as a single or a hit for that matter – Turnstiles only made it as high as 122 in the Billboard 200 – its place in Joel’s catalog and hearts of fans is firmly in place.

    Rather than head down south or out west, Joel sings about preferring to take a Greyhound down the Hudson River Line.  Joel discussed “New York State of Mind” in an interview with Howard Stern in 2010, saying that he wrote the song in 15 minutes on a bus headed Upstate to his then-home of Highland Falls. While there is no Hudson Line for Greyhound Buses, the route along I-87 follows the Hudson River, and along the other side of the river would be the Metro North Hudson Line, connecting Poughkeepsie to Grand Central Station.  Perhaps Joel combined these two in order to preserve a oneness of New York’s mass transit and treat that journey like he was staying local, and for the 20-25 million who live within an hour of the Big Apple.

    Joel longs for New York in “New York State of Mind,” having lived in California for the past three years. With a return home, Joel felt pride that can be felt in the emotion behind the lyrics.

    New York State of Mind

    Billy was born in the Bronx in 1969, grew up in Hicksville, and is one of the most famous products of Long Island. His father and mother emigrated to New York from Germany via Switzerland and Cuba during World War Two and settled in Brooklyn before moving to Long Island after Billy was born. Billy’s father returned to Europe, settling in Vienna, Austria where Billy has a famous half brother Alexander who is a classical conductor and most recently conducted the Staatstheater and Staatsorchester in Braunschweig, Germany from 2007-2014.

    Billy got his start playing piano in high school, eventually dropping out despite being a good student due to a lack of credits his senior year. He was quoted in Hank Bordowitz’s biography Billy Joel: The Life and Times of an Angry Young Man (2006) that rather than finish his credits in summer school, he would begin a career in music. “I told them, ‘To hell with it. If I’m not going to Columbia University, I’m going to Columbia Records, and you don’t need a high school diploma over there.’ (He later graduated in 1992 after submitting papers to the school board). From there, Joel joined the Echoes, the Hassles and finally the duo Atilla with Hassles drummer Jon Small. After an affair with Small’s wife, whom Joel later married, he signed with Family Records for his 1971 debut Cold Spring Harbor.  

    Billy Joel most memorably performed “New York State of Mind” at The Concert for New York City, the October 2001 benefit for New York City Fire and Police Departments and first responders following the terrorist attacks on New York City on September 11. In 2012, Joel hit an emotional nerve once again, performing the song at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief, held at Madison Square Garden on December 12. During the song he changed the lyrics to include Breezy Point (Queens) and Oceanside (Nassau) to great cheers from the crowd.

    The influence of New York is present throughout the lyrics of “New York State of Mind,” as the trip back to his home state moved Billy so much to pen the song in 15 minutes. His state of mind is New York-centric, as is the beginning of his career, and arguably his best years are found while living in the Empire State. Billy is a New York staple, a musician infinitely tied to New York City, Madison Square Garden, Long Island and Nassau Coliseum through many songs and albums, but none is more connected than “New York State of Mind.”

    “New York State of Mind” lyrics

    Some folks like to get away,
    Take a holiday from the neighborhood
    Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood
    But I’m takin’ a Greyhound on the Hudson River line
    I’m in a New York state of mind
    I’ve seen all the movie stars in their fancy cars and their limousines
    Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens
    I know what I’m needin’, and I don’t want to waste more time
    I’m in a New York state of mind
    It was so easy livin’ day by day
    Out of touch with the rhythm and blues
    But now I need a little give and take
    The New York Times, the Daily News
    It comes down to reality, and it’s fine with me cause I’ve let it slide
    I don’t care if it’s Chinatown or on Riverside
    I don’t have any reasons
    I left them all behind
    I’m in a New York state of mind
    Oh yeah

  • Antibalas 20th Anniversary Tour brings band back to Brooklyn

    Antibalas return to their Brooklyn roots this weekend for their 20th anniversary tour’s final U.S. shows. They’ll play two nights at Brooklyn Bowl, with Innov Gnawa joining them on Friday, March 15, and Poetic Thrust starting the night off on Saturday, March 16.

    The musical collective known as Antibalas (Spanish for bullet-proof or anti-bullets) was conceived of in Mexico City and formed in Brooklyn in the late ’90s. The early formation of the group was composed of the band’s founder Martín Perna and later included several other members (Gabriel Roth, Michael Wagner, Del Stribling aka Binky Griptite, Victor Axelrod, Fernando Bugaloo Velez, Anda Szilagyi) from the Soul Providers / Dap Kings band. performing their first show in May 1998 at St. Nick’s Pub in Harlem NY.

    The music of Fela Kuti is well represented in the Antibalas sound, and was part of the band’s early connection with percussionist Amayo, who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria who was fluent in the music of Fela. Within months of his first show with the band at The Cooler, he began composing and performing lyrics and assuming the role of the group’s lead vocalist / frontman.

    Antibalas recently released their sixth studio album on Daptone, Where the Gods are in Peace.  Though recognized for their fluency in Afrobeat and funk music, the band is known to collaborate with diverse groups and artists, from Angélique Kidjo to Jovanotti to Medeski Martin & Wood to Public Enemy, and served as the house band at Carnegie Hall in 2014 (Music of Paul Simon), 2015 (Music of David Byrne & Talking Heads) and 2017’s Music of Aretha Franklin.

    Join Antibalas and guests Innov Gnawa and Poetic Thrust this weekend at Brooklyn Bowl and celebrate 20 year’s of Afro-Cuban funk and rhythm.

    antibalas anniversary

    Check out the rest of Antibalas’ 20th Anniversary Tour Dates.

    March 14 – The Warehouse at FTC – Fairfield, CT
    March 15 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
    March 16 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
    March 30 – The Shrine – Lagos, Nigeria
    April 3 – FuzzYon – La Roche Sur Yon, FR
    April 4 – La Sirene – La Rochelle, FR
    April 5 – Le Temps Machine – Joue Les Tour, FR
    April 6 – Festival Banlieues Bleues – Epinay, FR
    April 7 – La Nef – Angouleme, FR
    April 9 – Le Moloco – Audaincourt, FR
    April 10 – Cully Jazz Festival – Cully, CH
    April 12 – Moods – Zurich, CH
    April 13 – Le Plan – Ris Orangis, FR
    April 16 – Het Depot – Leuven, BE
    April 17 – Maison Folie – Lille, FR
    April 19 – Jazz Cafe – London, UK
    April 20 – The Sugar Club – Dublin, IE
    April 21 – The Sugar Club – Dublin, IE

  • Photo Gallery: The Wailers at Brooklyn Bowl

    On Wednesday, February 27, The Wailers concluded a classic two night run at the Brooklyn Bowl, showing the life and joy reggae music brings to fans. Lead by famed bassist and founder Aston “Familyman” Barrett and original Wailers guitarist, Donald Kinsey, this band has the roots to carry the incredible legacy that comes with performing these songs. But it is in the youth of powerhouse Drummer Aston Barrett Jr. and lead singer Joshua David Barrett that brings a fresh energy – an exploration that’s new and fresh for the band.

    The Wailers Brooklyn Bowl
    The Wailers Brooklyn Bowl 2.27.19

    The Wailers are fan favorites and brought a packed house to the Brooklyn Bowl. It’s amazing to see the vast generations of music fans singing every word to classics hits like “Easy Skanking,” “Stir it up,” and “Redemption Song,” showing the life this music still has, and how good the band that created it really is. The Wailers did not disappoint and brought all that this amazing music has to offer to every show they’ve played, proving why they are still one of the top acts in music.

    Setlist: Intro-G Minor, Easy Skanking, Rastaman Vibration, Concrete Jungle,Heathen, Running Away/Crazy, Satisfy My Soul, Johnny B Good, War/No more Trouble, Trench Town, Stir It Up

    Encore: Redemption Song, It’s Alright, Punky Reggae Party

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