Like a great sandwich of leftovers from Turkey Day, the Vermont-based band Twiddle served up two nights of their homegrown musical jam at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. Dubbed “Frendsgiving” by the band, the weekend show is now becoming an annual event, this being the third time around.
Twiddle
With the theme of “Frendsgiving,” a portion of each night’s door sales was donated to the non-profit organization White Light Foundation. The foundation, run completely by volunteers, assists various charitable organizations and community causes. WLF describes itself as “founded on the principles of community, love, generosity, and passion” and is inspired by the music of Twiddle.
Aqueous
I caught the second night of this two-night run which had Aqueous, who played both nights, opening the show. They kicked out a blistering 45-minute set, including a cover of Vampire Weekends “Sunshine,” stoking the house’s appetite for the main course. Twiddle took the stage to cheers from the crowd, serving up two sets of nonstop music to the delight of all. The second set opened up with “Latin Tang” which had Mike Gantzer and David Loss of Aqueous joining the band and taking the show to the next level .
Mike Gantzer and David Loss of Aqueous w/Twiddle
With this being the beginning of the holiday season, the band gifted the audience with two new songs: “Mistakes,” which closed out the first set, and “Just Gravy” which was featured in the latter part of the second. “Lost in the Cold,” from Plump, took it home as the encore for the night. To make the evening complete, before the band left the stage they had the entire house join them for one big “family” picture to cap off the holiday weekend.
Aqueous Set List
On The Edge, Kitty Chaser (Explosions), Come and Go, The Median, Sunflower, Skyway
Twiddle Set List
Set I Orlando’s, Jamflowman, Gatsby the Great, Hattigan Mcrat, Orlando’s, BeeHop, Carter Candlestick, Mistakes
Set IILatin Tang, The Box, Zelda Theme, The Box, Syncopated Healing, Machine FRENDS Theme, Just Gravy, Gatsby the Great (Ending)
The renowned American-Italian filmmaker, actor and director Martin Scorsese is returning to the documentary world, this time focusing on the 1970’s New York City music scene according to Variety. Scorsese is known for many great works such as directing “The Irishman” which was released on Netflix on Nov. 27, “Taxi Driver,” and many more lauded works.
This isn’t the first time Scorsese has dipped his toes into the cinematic universe regarding music. Scorsese worked with Mick Jagger on the HBO series “Vinyl,” which is a historical period drama focusing on the 1970’s music scene along with all of the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll involved. Scorses also directed the documentary of The Band’s farewell concert at Winterland, “The Last Waltz” as well as the 2005 Bob Dylan documentary “No Direction Home.” With this prior work documenting the New York 1970’s music scene, the anticipation for this documentary by Imagine Entertainment and Scorsese is extreme.
Imagine Entertainment has almost two-dozen non-scripted films and series coming but this is one of the more exciting ones, especially for any music buff out there. Keep an eye out for more information from Imagine Entertainment on this exciting new project.
Festival organizers have released the names of the first three headliners for the 2020 Rochester International Jazz Festival. They are Nile Rodgers & Chic; A Celebration of 50 Years, Garth Fagan Dance with Monty Alexander Sextet; and Spyro Gyra. Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. at RochesterJazz.com . Three and nine-day Club Passes are also on sale now.
The 020 Rochester International Jazz Festival will be held June 19 to 27, 2020 in multiple indoor and outdoor venues in downtown Rochester. All headlining shows are held at 8 p.m. at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.
Nile Rodgers & Chic take the stage on Friday, June 26. Garth Fagan Dance will celebrate 50 years of dance at the CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival performing with long-time friend, Monty Alexander and his Sextet,on Wednesday, June 24. And returning for the first time since 2003 is contemporary jazz icons Spyro Gyra.
Phish’s Fall Tour rolled into Long Island on Sunday with an appearance at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, a building they hadn’t played in almost 17 years. While this Sunday show may not have reached the level of the esteemed February, 28, 2003 show, one of the more venerable shows in Phish history and they last time they played here, it still delivered two robust sets of music filled with old classics, bustout covers, intricate jams and a nod to the past. Check out NYS Music’s photo gallery of all the fun below.
Phish 12/1/19 Nassau Veterans Memorial Colisuem
Set 1: Ghost > Rift, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > The Wedge, Martian Monster > Timber (Jerry the Mule) > Cool it Down > Roggae > Poor Heart > Tube > Character Zero
Set 2: Everything’s Right > Down with Disease -> Cities > Carini > Ruby Waves > Twenty Years Later > Backwards Down the Number Line > Say it to Me S.A.N.T.O.S.
Encore: Roses are Free > Slave to the Traffic Light
It’s no easy feat to make a Christmas album stand out these days. There’s a lot to choose from and they all tend of blend into each other. Even original songs can have a tough time climbing the charts, except for Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” No one will ever understand how that song got so popular. Regardless, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound have put together A Jazzy Little Christmas, a unique collection of Christmas classics with a twist as well as original scores that are sure to turn a few heads.
What’s more, they follow the holiday spirit by vowing to donate a portion of the proceeds to New York Cares’ Winter Wishes program – a branch of the New York Cares group that is dedicated to providing gifts to low income families.
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound is an Emmy-nominated southern gospel quartet stemming from all over the country. They’ve released a copious amount of albums over the years, but this album is their first Christmas album in a decade and it brings that classic, magical, warm Christmas feel that has transcended time.
The album is filled with a variety of classics such as “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland” and “Mister Santa.” They’re chock full of rich, bold brass instrumentation, swirling strings and, the cornerstone of the group, the unbelievable chops of Ernie Haase, Devin McGlamery, Dustin Doyle and Paul Harkey. Together, they created some otherworldly harmonies and sounds that are warm and inviting, perfect for this time of year. They also created some original tracks that Haase hopes will become holiday classics. In his online bio, Haase tells a heartwarming tale of how his original, “Christmas in Manhattan” came to be.
“New York City is a very special place for me and my wife, Lisa. We’re going on 30 years of marriage, and one of the things we started doing when we first got married was going to New York and doing a Broadway blitz, especially at Christmas time. We would get there and just look at the lights and take in the city, so I wanted to write an original love song about those experiences.”
It’s a sweet tale that makes the song more sincere and unique. This authenticity, coupled with their charitable nature, makes this an underrated album. So fire up the yule log on your TV, spike the eggnog and fall into the holiday spirit with this in-depth and unique album. Stream it on Spotify, iTunes, or download it on their site.
Key Tracks: Winter Wonderland, Mister Santa, Christmas in Manhattan
The brotherly duo of Matthew and Nathan Corrigan has been performing under the name Tough Old Bird for the better part of the decade. Their latest release is a concept album that weaves together an array of musical influences and lyrical narratives around the central theme of area waterways.
In an interview earlier this year, Nathan told NYS Music, “I think we’ve had a tendency in the past to think of ourselves as a folk band, and with this album I think it was more important to be open to anything, and not worry about what genre it was or whether it sounded like some abstract idea of how we were supposed to sound.”
Alanis Morissette has announced a 2020 tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of her album Jagged Little Pill. Fellow ’90s classmates set to join the tour are Garbage and Liz Phair. With a kick-off June 1 in Portland, OR, the tour is set to make 31 stops. Two of which will be in New York. They will take the stage on June 26 at LiveNation’s Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater. On July 8, the alt-rockers will perform at SPAC in Saratoga Springs.
Ticket presales will start on Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. local time. The regular sale will follow on Dec. 13 at 11 a.m. local time. Fans can sign up here to be included in the presale if signed up by Dec. 8. All sales will include a digital download of Morissette’s newly released single “Reason I Drink.” Ticket holders also will receive a copy of the brand new album Such Pretty Forks in the Road, her first album since 2012.
Jagged Little Pill was Morissette’s third studio album and the first released worldwide. It went on to sell 33 million copies and win five Grammys and was recently turned into a Broadway musical.
Alanis Morissette 2020 Tour
Dates:
June 2—Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre—Portland, OR June 3—White River Amphitheatre—Seattle, WA June 5—Concord Pavilion—Concord, CA June 7—USANA Amphitheatre—Salt Lake City, UT June 9—Hollywood Bowl—Los Angeles, CA June 10—Ak-Chin Pavilion Phoenix, AZ Jun. 12—Austin360 Amphitheater – Austin, TX June 13—Walmart AMP—Rogers, AK June 14—Dos Equis Pavilion—Dallas, TX June 17—Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre—Tampa, FL June 18—Coral Sky Amphitheatre—West Palm Beach, FL Jun. 20—Ameris Bank Amphitheatre—Alpharetta, GA June 21—PNC Music Pavilion Charlotte, NC June 23—Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek—Raleigh, NC June 26—Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater—Wantagh, NY June 27—Xfinity Theatre—Hartford, CT June 28—BB&T Pavilion Camden, NJ July 1—PNC Bank Arts Center—Holmdel, NJ July 2—Merriweather Post Pavilion—Columbia, MD July 3—Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater—Virginia Beach, VA July 6—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion—Gilford, NH July 8—Saratoga Performing Arts Center—Saratoga Springs, NY July 9—Xfinity Center—Mansfield, MA July 11—Budweiser Stage—Toronto, Ontario July 16—Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center—Noblesville, IN July 17—Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre—Tinley Park, IL July 18—Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre—Maryland Heights, MO July 21—DTE Energy Music Theatre—Clarkston, MI July 23—Blossom Music Center—Cuyahoga Falls, OH July 24—Riverbend Music Center—Cincinnati, OH July 25—Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
December is here, and that means Phish’s annual four night run at Madison Square Garden is right around the corner. And with those four nights of Phish come… Phish after-parties! CEG Presents has put together an incredible slate of post-shows that you’ll be looking to check out after emptying out on 7th and 8th Avenues following Phish. See below for details on all the great shows you’ll find starting late, December 28-30, plus a special NYE show from The New Mastersounds!
John Medeski and Billy Martin (Medeski Martin and Wood) will come together with Scott Metzger (JRAD) and Nels Cline (Wilco) for the first time, one night only, for an evening of improvisational music after Phish performs at Madison Square Garden on December 28.
An eclectic jam/funk band, infusing deep psychedelic grooves with improvisational techniques. The ambitiously crafted keyboard mastery, expressive saxophone and immaculate guitar shredding meld into a dynamic fusion. Lean more about The New Motif.
Pink Talking Fish provides their own original musical concept by combining the songbooks of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish to create a unique experience for live music fans. The band has added to this concept over the years by adding a 4th Act such as David Bowie, Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson and more. They have also performed complete albums while intertwining songs from the other 2 Acts into the mix. On December 29 at Gramercy Theatre, PTF will unleash one of the most exciting concepts to date: Pink Talking Fish Are Beastie Boys! This will be a fusion of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, Phish AND Beastie Boys.
Joining the band will be DJ Logic, who will be assuming the duties of Mix Master Mike and also adding his flavor to songs from the other 3 Acts. PTF will also be performing ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ for a NYC Phish After-Party on December 28th, also at Gramercy Theatre. This will be a full rendition of the Pink Floyd album with Phish and Talking Heads songs intertwined through the album cuts.
Anybody who’s seen Marco Benevento perform will attest, with eyes closed, smile wide across his face and fingers free-flowing across the keys, he’s a satellite to the muse. With a devout and growing fan-base, Benevento is an artist whose story is only beginning to unfold..
– Sunday December 29 – Hill Country
The music of The Grateful Dead transcends time, age and space. Their high energy, soul-touching jams, and family-like environment were central to the counter-culture experience. Over the past 19 years Dead Sessions has grown to become one of the favorite Grateful Dead experiences in the Northeast. Playing since 1998, the collective is known for their authentic but unique renditions of Grateful Dead classics, thick with spiritual connectivity and heartfelt jams that make the most jaded Deadhead rejoice. Dead Sessions is composed of a rotating cast of musicians throughout the country, but the roots of origin are easily traced to the Green Mountain State. With an unmasked joy that pours off the stage and blurs any boundaries with their audience, the Sessions are beloved by all from the casual fan to the dedicated Terrapin warrior.
Monday December 30 – (le) poisson rouge
On December 30, Greenwich Village venue (le) poisson rouge will host Electric In The Village: Ryley Walker, Chris Forsyth, and Garcia Peoples. Guitarist/songwriter Chris Forsyth got his start in Brooklyn’s experimental circles in the early 2000’s, and as the bandleader of Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band, channeled both the psychedelic jamming of the Grateful Dead and the precision of art-punk guitar acts like Television. Illinois-based fingerstyle guitarist and singer-songwriter Ryley Walker adds new flavor to the series; his music has been described as fingerstyle ballads, psychedelic waltzes, and raga-inspired blues. Garcia Peoples is the Brooklyn Sextet blasting through residencies and new songs and sessions and collaborations, leaving a trail of live tapes in their wake, and scaling ever upwards.
– Tuesday December 31, 2018 – Gramercy Theatre
The New Mastersounds have been delighting audiences with their infectious brand of funky soul-jazz since they formed in Leeds in 1999. For the first five years of the band’s career they were regulars at the Jazz Café in London, before they began to turn heads on the funk scene in the US, where guitarist/producer/bandleader Eddie Roberts now lives. For over a decade they have been a staple act of the late-night scene during New Orleans’ annual Jazz Fest.
Though they have collaborated over the years with such musical luminaries as Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Corinne Bailey Rae, Art Neville, Bernard Purdie and Lou Donaldson, they are at their best on stage as a tightly-packed quartet – bass, drums, guitar and keyboards – firing scorching grooves off each other and feeding on the energy of the dancers in the front row.
Phish geared up for two nights at Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, RI to cap the month of November. It was long overdue, nine years since Phish had performed DDC. Even more thrilling than the Phish stage presence at Dunkin’, both dates directly infected the community with musical-euphoria, as were fans Friday and Saturday night. Phish, along with the Mockingbird Foundation have donated a $1,500 in tour grants to New Urban Arts in Providence.
Friday 11/29/2019
Set 1: First Tube, The Final Hurrah > NICU, Steam > Scent of a Mule, Bye Bye Foot, No Men In No Man’s Land, Gumbo> My Soul, Maybe[1], Sand > Fire.
Set 2: 46 Days > Back on the Train > Plasma > Farmhouse, Light -> Plasma Reprise > Birds of a Feather, Joy, Simple -> Set Your Soul Free -> Plasma Reprise, Walk Away.
Encore: Meatstick > Sleep, Driver, Bug.
[1] Phish debut.
Saturday 11/30/2019
SET 1: Turtle in the Clouds, Punch You in the Eye > Llama, Meat, The Old Home Place, Lawn Boy, I Didn’t Know, Maze, Horn, Gotta Jibboo > Stash -> Plasma Reprise > Golgi Apparatus.
SET 2: Bathtub Gin > Alaska > What’s the Use? > Piper > Golden Age -> Plasma Reprise > Harry Hood.
Encore: Big Black Furry Creature from Mars > Kung > Wombat, Possum > Plasma Reprise.
The Girls’ Choice Awards has announced the nominees for “Empowerment in Music” categories. Leading the pack was Taylor Swift with a total of six nominations. Lizzo follows right behind with five nominations, her hits “Tempo” and “Good As Hell” are competing against each other for the “Most Empowering Musical Collaboration of the Year”.
Ariana Grande snagged four nods, while Billie Eilish and Halsey are up for two; Cardi B and Dua Lipa will compete for one award each.
Set as the high point of Girls’ Choice year-round program, the show will take place February 28 and March 1, 2020 and is part of the Girls’ Choice initiative which focuses on today’s pressing issues while educating and empowering new generations.
This year’s show is produced by partner organizations, creators of the Teen Choice and Young Women’s Honors, and the Sand Sisters Los Angeles. The empowerment festival will feature performances, activations from partners and the awards.
Voting for the “Empowerment in Music” categories have already begun and ends February 15, 2020. Fans must be over 13 years of age and are allowed to vote as often as once per hour. Go to www.girlschoice.com to vote for your favorite artists.
