O.A.R. is in the beginning stages of their 2019 summer tour, a thirty-plus date run set to make stops all across the country. On Tuesday June 11, the band made its way to New York City metro area at the beautiful South Street Seaport venue, Pier 17. The rooftop stage nestled in the skyline of the city, backdropped by the Brooklyn Bridge, was a setting for an intimate performance. A twenty-four song setlist included new tracks, “Knocking at Your Door” and “OH MY!,” as well as O.A.R. staples “About Mr. Brown” and “I Feel Home.” The band is in a great place and it shows through the music, and an amazing energy from the crowd. Pier 17 made a great omen, a send-off for The Mighty O.A.R.
Setlist: Dangerous Connection, About Mr. Brown, Living in the End, Something Coming Over, Fire, Black Rock, Place to Hide, Knocking at Your Door, Shattered (Turn the Car Around), Are You For Real, Love and Memories, About and Hour Ago, I Feel Home, Oh My, Night Shift> Stir It Up, Heaven, Miss You All The Time, That Was a Crazy Game of Poker, Hey Girl, All Because of You, This Town, City on Down.
There’s no doubt that Kelly & Kat are very talented. In 2014 Kelly & Kat made a commercial appearance during the American Music Awards, performing their harmonized rendition of the smash hit Let it Go. This amazing opportunity was the result of winning Disney and Kohl’s National Sing Your Frozen Heart Out Contest. Their performance was terrific and captivated millions of viewers.
Since then, Kelly & Kat have been writing and performing while developing their unique sound and style.
In early 2018, the pair signed on to work with Grammy Award winning No Doubt drummer, Adrian Young, and musician/producer Quinn Lamont Luke (a.k.a. Bing Ji Ling). Young and Luke produced, co-wrote, and played on all of the tracks.
The four of them split time last summer in New York City, and in Upstate New York (near Woodstock), at the famous Dreamland Recording Studio. It was at Dreamland, where the duo recorded their first EP – Nobody Knows.
Kelly & Kat plan to release a few originals from the EP throughout the summer of 2019. The material combines elements of pop, jazz, and rock along with their signature harmonies. The singles include songs with driving beats and themes of self empowerment as Kelly & Kat sing about lost love, self reflection, and starting over.
This article was originally published by Under the Radar – Covering the Long Island Music Scene and appears as a special to NYS Music. Under the Radar and NYS Music work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene across Long Island. For more, visit BreslauBombers.com.
Back in 2008, the entertainment industry watched as decades of history burned to the ground. At 4:43 am on June 1, 2008, a security guard on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood noticed flames erupting from a rooftop on the set known as New England Street. Hundreds of firefighters tried to extinguish the blaze, but poor water pressure and damaged sprinkler systems hindered their ability to do so. Eventually the fire reached one of the most important buildings on the lot, Building 6197, otherwise known as, ‘the video vault.’
The video vault was home to videotapes, film reels, and a library of master sound recordings owned by Universal Music Group. A master recording is the original recording of a piece of music, the source of how we listen to everything today. The recording industry is a business of copies, and copies of copies. With each copy that is made, some of that original sound is lost as the audio is converted between formats. The massive fire destroyed almost everything in the vault, including the masters for an estimated 500,000 song titles, recording sessions, multi-track recordings with the instruments still segregated, and recordings that have never been released.
“A master is the truest capture of a piece of recorded music. Sonically, masters can be stunning in their capturing of an event in time. Every copy thereafter is a sonic step away.”
– Adam Block, former president of Legacy Recordings
The catalog of masters destroyed includes music of countless legendary artists spanning across multiple decades. Artists like: Steely Dan, Duke Ellington, Judy Garland, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Neil Diamond, Ray Charles, R.E.M., Guns N’ Roses, Patti LaBelle, Eric Clapton, Sonny and Cher, and hundreds more. Some of Aretha Franklin’s first appearances on record when she was a teenager, tape masters for Billie Holiday’s Decca catalog, and Nirvana production masters with songs no one has ever heard were all destroyed. In a tweet, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic said he believes the Nevermind masters are “gone forever.”
Billie Holiday, 1946. CreditPhoto Illustration by Sean Freeman & Eve Steben for The New York Times. Source photograph: William Gottlieb/Redferns/Getty Images.
This took place eleven years ago, why are we just hearing about the master recordings now? For months afterwards news surrounding the fire, most importantly the vault, was heavily covered by media. However, majority of the coverage referenced the film recording damages, and eventually it was written off as crisis averted. UMG avoided bad publicity by ensuring most of everything that was lost was digitally backed up, or that it was only copies engulfed by the flames, and the masters were at a different facility in Pennsylvania. It wasn’t until New York Times released an extensive article which included information from legal documentation of the fire from a 2009 lawsuit UMG filed against NBCUniversal, who owned the warehouse where these relics were stored; that the news about the lost music became more public.
Artists were not even made aware that their masters were destroyed until the Times article. Attorney Howard King told LA Times that some artists effected will be seeking legal action against UMG, saying: “This has a potentially huge impact on [the artists’] future, coupled with the rather disturbing fact that no one had ever told them that their intellectual property may have been destroyed. There is a significant amount of discussion going on, and there will be formal action taken.”
Welcome to NYS Music’s comprehensive guide to all the music festivals found in the Empire State throughout the Summer of 2019! Read on to learn about what festivals are coming up, ticketing and lineup info, and what past years can tell us about what to expect for next year!
Historic Cobblestone District – Downtown Buffalo, NY. T
It’s a good spot for a mid-level band…they treat you like a king. At the end of the day, when you treat your musicians well, they’re going to play better, your patrons are going to be happier…it works all around. It’s definitely a music venue for musicians.
Past Highlights: Broken Social Scene, The Sheepdogs, Turkuaz, Aqueous, Chicano Batman, Golf Clap, Andy Frasco & the U.N., Michelangelo Carruba Super Jam, Ratboys, Dynamo.
2019 Lineup: Aqueous, Sloan, Tauk, Joy Wave, Billy Strings, Langhorne Slim, Witty Tarbox.
Pricing: $35 Two-Day Pass ($45 Walk-up), $20 Single Day, $100 VIP. *Late night passes to be announced
Emerging Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Artist, Ian Flanigan seamlessly weaves intricate acoustics and lyricism across supportive cello arrangements and skillful percussion. His sound — an eclectic blend of progressive folk and percussive finger-style — is reminiscent of the road less traveled, paved with poignant lyrical truths of his past.
Past Highlights: Adam Ezra Group, Beth Molaro, Buddy System, Bunkhouse Boys, The Clayfoot Strutters, Dan Navarro, Dar Williams, Eclectic Dance Orchestra Sun.
2019 Lineup: Andrew VanNorstrand, Stephen Kellog, Annie & the Hedonists, Annie Wenz, Beth Molaro, Buddy System, Carolann Solebello, Crys Matthews, Emma’s Revolution, The Falcon Ridge House Band (Mark Dann, Eric Lee, Radoslav Lorkovic).
Pricing:$175 3-Day Ticket w/ Camping; $130 Without. (May 16-July 10th). FREE for Children 12 & Under. All 3 day tickets include Pre-Fest Thursday admission.
The art and music festival started with a house show featuring a stage on the lawn and acoustic acts on the back porch of the farmhouse. Over the past decade, it has grown into three-day-long music festival in a natural amphitheater nestled between the rolling hills of Cortland.
Past Highlights: Sophistafunk, Root Shock and NYS Music 87/90 artist, Space Carnival, The Unknown Jones, The Neighbors, Dirty Blanket.
2019 Lineup: The Comb Down, The Blind Spots, The Speculators, Digger Jones, Root Shock.*A special film screening Sunday with live score by Chris Kuklis and The Seedstock Cinematic Orchestra.
Eric Clapton gave Albert Lee his guitar from the Cream era, one of more than 40 guitars Albert Lee owns – he’s lost count. They include Don Everly’s Gibson J200 and the guitar Elvis Presley played in “King Creole,” G. I. Blues” and “Loving You.”
Singer/songwriter and guitarist, Albert Lee, left home at 16 in 1960 and never looked back. You may not have heard of him, but at 75 he’s a road warrior whose enormous creativity has touched the muse of artists as diverse as Clapton; Elvis Presley guitarists, James Burton and Scotty Moore; country legends, Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs; Emmylou Harris; Cindy Cashdollar; and scores more. He spent 24 years on the road with The Everly Brothers and 13 with Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones.
NYS Music caught up with him at his home in Malibu, just back from a tour of his home country, England. Between now and July 1, he will perform at 10 venues in the greater New York area including The Iridium in New York City, The Iron Horse in Northampton and The Strand in Hudson Falls. He tours Australia in August and is back home in the U.K. in late September.
“I’m still unpacking here. It’s tough to do. I’m looking out the window now. We just replaced the refrigerator, and there’s a refrigerator in the driveway. Thankfully, the neighbors can’t see it, but I’ve got to organize a pickup to drag it away.”
Lee says he maintains a schedule that could kill a man half his age because he has bills to pay, and two managers. With one manager in the States and another in Europe, both of whom keep him so busy he has little time to breathe. We saw him in January, and he was a human jukebox with breathtaking skills in every style of rock and country, rockabilly and pop ballads. In a seat at the back of the balcony at The Strand his delivery was so strong he projected as if he was playing directly to us.
Ask him about any of the stars he’s played with and he has a story. His “Country Boy” was a top-10 country hit for Ricky Skaggs in 1982. Its use of traditional country guitar on a mainstream country hit changed the way the industry looked at the genre. Skaggs plays on Lee’s version of the song, that appeared on Lee’s first single album Hiding. “That was the second or third time I recorded that song,” Lee explains. “I first did it with Head Hands and Feet in 1970, and then when I got a deal with A&M in the mid-70s, I cut it again. That one wasn’t released. When I re-instigated my deal with A&M and got more money to go back in the studio, and I did it again with our band, and Emmylou Harris and Ricky Skaggs, and that’s the version that’s one that Hidingalbum.
“Ricky Skaggs loved it all, really. I mean he’d come from the bluegrass background and, after playing with Emmylou Harris, he (was up) for playing more electric country, and I think he will probably give me credit for getting him to play the Telecaster for a short while in his band. Same goes for Vince Gill, you know. Vince wasn’t really a Tele player until we got there.
“The version of ‘Country Boy’ by Heads Hands and Feet got played on the radio a lot, so people got to know me here (in the States), and then when I moved to L.A. in ’73,’74, I was playing local bars with Vince Gill. He was quite young then, and I think he will readily admit that I was an influence at that time. Then Ricky and I were in the Hot Band (with Emmylou Harris) for a short while together, and I got to play on a few records of his around that time.”
Guitarist Magazine calls him “the only Brit to be regarded as a bona fide legend of American country music.” His credits include Joe Cocker, Carlene Carter and did three albums with Buddy Holly’s Crickets. He has a new Buddy Holly tribute album for sale on this tour.
Brooklyn based funk outfit, Lettuce, has been one of the pioneers in modern funk and jam music. The band’s skill and taste, combined with their ability to blend historic and popular music aesthetics together puts them in the spotlight for aspiring bands. The spotlight is nothing new to Lettuce and they are perpetually growing a global fan base. In fact, members Adam Deitch (drums/percussion), Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff (guitar), Erick “Jesus” Coomes (bass), Nigel Hall (keyboards/vocals), Ryan Zoidis (saxophone) and Eric “Benny” Bloom (trumpet) have been doing this for 25 years, scoring Grammy’s and working with some of the biggest forces in music such as Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Kanye West, and Stevie Wonder, to name a few. It’s no wonder the glamor for more original Lettuce music after a three-year wait was at an all time high. That time has come with their new album, Elevate.
The opening track, “Trapezoid” walks the listener in slowly, offering a close listen at the eccentric synth patches featured. Soon enough, a dark, unrelentingly ‘dub’ bass shatters the ground underneath the lush combination of squeaking synth, ambient whistles and palm-muted guitar. Deitch’s live drums are performed with machine-like technical skill. That is, until the unmistakably Lettuce horn lines kick in. Absolutely huge melodic phrases are composed with ease into tighter chorus hooks and are climaxed right before a colossal bass drop. While there is a chance that mashing up elements of trap, dub, funk, ambient and hip hop could go wrong, Lettuce navigates each mood change with confidence and expertise. The band’s grasp of their song’s structures at large is most easily seen by their ability to essentially re-write “Trapezoid” at the end of the album in “Trapezoid Dub.” There’s much more music to go before that arc is completed, but it is something to keep in mind when considering the magnificent flow of the album.
Something Lettuce does as well as anything else is write true funk tunes. “Royal Highness” is a great example of this, with simple yet effective instrumentation coming together with well-organized rhythmic grooves blooming into a great dance tune. This instrumental leads in for the 60’s Ethiopian funk song, “Krewe,” which features arguably the best sax solo on the album. This track has a nice blend of high-energy rhythm with darker but upbeat instrumentation; an intriguing juxtaposition.
The cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” is a fresh take on a classic tune. Lettuce brings the song out of its comfort zone, adding a swing, along with a more compelling instrumentation. The vocals make their debut here and do a great job of adding flavor and depth to the song, outside of simply holding down the famous melody. The bass really shines and punches along the deep end, supporting the layered vocals and the occasional soaring flute line.
Flourishing trumpet fanfares and melodic horn phrases find their rhythmic soulmate in “Larimar.” The bass heaves along with a parallel guitar line, yielding a thick baritone guitar feel without sacrificing density. This song hits in two halves; the first half being a funk groove with attitude, which transitions into a cheekier outro groove. The instrumentation remains largely the same keeping the experience of the song isolated, but still very unique in its progression. “Love Is Too Strong” is a blues rock song, heavily influenced by the gospel and blues of the 60’s, but with some more 70’s styled mixolydian guitar solos and tones. The vocals are a highlight here as well, offering a strong, resonant lead melody with a raspy blues aesthetic, with accents and emphasis being added by a backing gospel choir.
There’s a lot in this album in the way of genre, evinced by the Brian Eno/J Dilla inspired ambient hip hop instrumental, “Purple Cabbage.” Lettuce flexes their creative muscles here. The output is an atmospheric soundscape, which acts as the backdrop for an echo-laden layering of guitars to sputter around an unmistakably potent beat from Deitch. The horns, which maintain a strong presence throughout the album, remain front and center for much of the tune, stabbing right at the heart of the melody hidden in the backing soundscape the band creates. Running at just over nine-minutes, this song is steeped in timbre of all sorts. Listeners will be able to find something completely new with each listen.
To be clear, this is the case with the album as a whole. Such a diverse selection of songs can be tough to wrangle into one concise piece of work, yet Lettuce does just that. The band transforms constantly from the start to end. Their final song “Trapezoid Dub” is a different version of the first song on the album, which is hardly noticeable unless looking at the track titles. Once you notice though, it becomes apparent that the framework for both tunes are the same, but Lettuce has managed to create an entirely different listening experience. A shining example of the band’s ability to adapt and reimagine.
They change, while remaining just enough of the same Lettuce, that fans have known for all these years. The improvisational aspect is not lost among the composition, and the experimentation takes front seat just long enough for each tune (and the album in general) to have an unexpected but fulfilling arc. It’s not enough to say, “keep an eye on Lettuce.” Rather, this album marks the opportunity to appreciate their determined foray into seemingly unrelated genres and pull out exactly what pieces best fit their sound. Mesh those into tracks that are not only stunning, but also a whole lot of fun.
Tucked away in Belmont, NY, Pollywogg Holler is an enchanting refuge away from the crazy stress of modern day society. It started out as a dream for Barb and Bill Castle in 1976 when they built a home in these magical woods for them and their three children. They wanted to establish a lifestyle in harmony with nature, and eventually opened up their property to the public so everyone could bask as well.
Every Sunday from April to mid-November is Pizza Day. The property is open to the public from 1-6 PM and provides delicious hand-made brick oven pizza, drinks and live music. Bands featured this summer include Workingman’s Dead, PA Line, Folkfaces and so much more. Check out the full lineup for the summer down below.
The music isn’t the only aspect that makes the Pollywogg Holler experience magical. When you arrive, you walk back into a breathtaking forest filled with different sculptures and art pieces. Among the beautiful art and trees are little cabins that you can reserve for a night, each one providing a unique experience. They have the ‘Sauna Loft’, which is a Finnish-style family sauna that warms a private sleeping area among the treetops. If you really want to sleep under the stars, they offer lean-to style cabins with sheer panel closures that allow you to connect with nature. You can learn more about the different style cabins and make a reservation here.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Riverboat Bar in Alexandria Bay (A-Bay) will host a summer series of live music running from mid-June through the end of September. In all, more than 30 bands will be gracing the newly renovated stage over the course of the summer.
The series opens this weekend with Pennsylvania funk-reggae band, Kluster Phunk. They’ll be performing on Saturday, June 15 and will be joined by special guest Ben Carrey of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong.
The weekend of June 21-22 turns back the clock to the ’90s with Buffalo’s Tiny Music doing a tribute to the Stone Temple Pilots on June 21 and fellow Nickel City alt-rockers Stalking Jenna playing a reunion show on June 22.
June wraps with Toronto party machine After Funk on June 28 and two bands on June 29 when Saratoga’s Let’s Be Leonard will perform with local favorites, Adapter.
Fourth of July weekend is packed with music at the bay. Three shows dot the weekend beginning on Thursday, July 4. Utica psychedelic rockers Trampoline Jetstream make their debut at the Riverboat on Thursday followed by the funktronica of Tweed on Friday the 5th and the resurgent Annie in the Water on Saturday the 6th.
Visit the Riverboat Bar in A-Bay this summer and don’t miss the great music offerings they have in store!
Wolfmother brought their fast-paced hard rock to the famed Irving Plaza on Monday, June 10. Andrew Stockdale lead the Australian outfit through a full set list of the band’s famed hits. His band now includes former member of The Vines, drummer Hamish Rosser, and bassist Brad Heald. Their camaraderie really shows in the flow and style of the band and compliments Stockdale’s heavy, raunchy, psychedelic Gibson SG sound. From hits “Woman” to the encore, “Joker & The Thief,” Wolfmother reminds you how awesome a good rock show can be.
Setlist: Victorious, White Unicorn, Colossal, Woman, New Moon Rising, Apple Tree, Mind’s Eye, Dimension, California Queen, Vagabond, Pyramid, Gypsy Caravan
June 21, 2019 is just around the corner, which means summer is almost here and, more importantly, the 18th edition of Rochester International Jazz Festival is about to begin.
Jazz Fest is a comforting tradition on the Rochester scene, but that embraces great change with each year. It is continually being modified to adjust to forces out of the producers control and in an effort to create a perfected festival experience.
This year sees some big changes. For one, the title sponsor is now CGI taking over for longtime sponsor Xerox. The footprint of the festival is also changing quite a bit. Harro East and Anthology are no longer venues. They are replaced by Geva: two venues in one place, Fielding Stage and Wilson Stage. Also, M&T Pavilion Squeezers Stage is housed in a new tent on Parcel 5.
What hasn’t changed is nine straight days of world-spanning A-class music. We don’t really think you can go wrong with this year’s lineup, but here are some suggestions to help guide you on your way.
Jam-adjacent
Some musicians, better known for their involvement in jam bands, will be performing at the fest. Percussion master Cyro Baptista and singer Jennifer Hartswick, both members of the Trey Anastasio Band, are bringing their equally compelling solo bands. Hartswick will be joined by Nick Cassarino on guitar. Aron Magner, of the trance fusion Disco Biscuits, has a brand new jazz trio called Spaga, who will be playing one of their first shows together.
While not exclusively held at the new Geva Theater Fielding Stage, this venue will be home to a slew of excellent Americana artists: Acoustic guitar phenom, Jon Stickley, will be with his well-travelled trio; One-man wonder, The Suitcase Junket, will wow with his bag of tricks; and Circus No. 9 brings their unique blend of progressive bluegrass sounds.
Sun, June 23 6:30 PM & 8:30 PM Geva Theatre Center â Fielding Stage
Instrumentalists
It isn’t easy for an artist to make an instrument you’ve heard countless times seem new again, but these groups are each defying that on their respective tools of the trade. Adam Ben Ezra on bass, Stefon Harris on vibes, and, newcomer from across the pond, Nubya Garcia on sax . All are can’t miss players playing at this year’s festival.
Fri, Jun 28 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage FREE
Party Time
It’s summer, it’s a festival and sometimes you’re just going to want to get up and dance. These bands will offer that opportunity. Another brilliant young product of the UK, Kansas Smitty’s House Band, sounds decidedly American covering a wide range of styles. Empire Strikes Brass appropriately strikes a balance between evil, spacey and horn-y, while Aquaducks get a bit more down and dirty with their funky output.
Mon, June 24 7:30 PM & 9:30 PM City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage FREE
Tue, June 25 7:00 PM & 9:00 PM Fusion Stage FREE
Adventurous
The Nordic and Euro Jazz Now Series at the Lutheran Church is our go-to spot for musicians painting outside of the lines, challenging our sensibilities. When in doubt, you can go there blind and there’s a good chance you’ll catch something mystifying. Although, it isn’t the only place to seek adventure. These three artists will definitely take you there, so don’t miss ’em!
“It’s not who you know, it’s who you don’t know” has been the festival’s mantra from the beginning. Though after 18 years, there will be plenty of returnees who you definitely know. This year, three guitarists are standing out on our list of must-see-agains. Bill Frisell, who has brought a number of different bands to his seven festival appearances, returns with his trio. Ron Artis II and the Truth was a “wow” discovery last year, and Scott Sharrard is always a sure bet for some hot jams.
At a festival with some of best from across the globe, there’s still plenty of space carved out for the incredible amount of talent we have right here in Rochester. Proceedings on the Jazz Street Stage get started daily by younger sets from local schools and bands. They get the Big Tent and Squeezers Stage moving with free early sets and keep the Fusion Stage grooving throughout midweek. Plenty more regional artists get sprinkled in throughout. Here are three Rochestarians you definitely don’t want to miss.
More so than ever before, we’re just scratching the surface here. There is nary a wrong turn to make, so get out there and try something new. See the full lineup and all the details at the highly informative Rochester Jazz Fest web site, and stay tuned to our twitter feed for daily updates.
