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Jen Sánchez “Heartbeat” to Premiere on Times Square New Year’s Eve Webcast
Broadway actress Jen Sánchez will debut her new music video for “Heartbeat” live in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. The music video for the pandemic-inspired song of resilience features real New Yorkers whose lives have been affected by the coronavirus and shutdowns.
The song was selected as a finalist and the Audience Choice Award winner in the Times Square Alliance’s Songs for Our City songwriting competition in June.
“Heartbeat” is a tribute to those working to keep their lives and cities afloat, as well as those who have been lost to COVID-19, while sharing an empowering and uplifting message of strength and solidarity.
The music video depicts scenes from Times Square and features real New Yorkers who are working each day to keep New York City running amid the pandemic, including Jason Clark, Co-Owner of Hold Fast Kitchen and Spirits; Ruth Levy, a Nurse Practitioner at Mount Sinai Hospital who worked in one of the hospital’s COVID wards; and Rob White, a Times Square Alliance Sanitation Maintenance Worker. The video was directed and choreographed by Broadway veteran Yani Marin and features performances by Broadway dancers Angelica Beliard, Natalie Caruncho, Albert Guerzon, Yani Marin, NaTonia Monét, Fredric Odgaard, and Brett Sturgis.
Viewers are encouraged to donate to NYCNext, an organization working to help the city we love recover and rebuild, and to energize and inspire others to act.
“Heartbeat” is written and performed by Jen Sánchez, directed and choreographed by Yani Marin, edited and filmed by Gregg Monteith, and produced by Jen Sánchez and Sophie Aung, for Times Square Alliance.
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New York Hip Hop: A Year in Review
As the proprietor of hip hop, New York, carries certain expectations from the genres’ emcees. Take for instance that within the last half-decade alone we’ve seen top 10 records like “Hot N****,” “OOOUUU,” “All The Way Up” and “Dior” become staples of each respective summer. The inhabitants themselves walk around with a certain hubris, knowing that their fashion, demeanor and dialect is a valuable commodity within pop culture. With rap artists being a reflection of New York’s current state, there was bound to be an equal amount of historic moments and tragedy. As such, we take a look at the major events from 2020.
Young Artists Stake Their Claim
As cities like Atlanta and Memphis continue their surge within the genre, it is of importance that established young artists from New York continue their ascension, to keep pace with their counterparts. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie kept himself relevant with the release of his much-anticipated Artist 2.0 album. Pop Smoke (before his tragic death) continued his meteoric 2019 with a strong sequel to his breakout mixtape, Meet the Woo 2. Dave East dropped a tertiary edition to his Karma mixtape series and Brooklyn continued to make waves with projects from J.I the Prince of N.Y., Fivio Foreign, Sheff G, 22Gz, Curly Savv, Rah Swish and the surging Bizzy Banks.
Veteran Emcees Still Have Something to Say
Hip Hop is the culture of the youth. It always has been and always will be. Yet, many prominent veterans reminded fans that they still have stories worth listening to. Juelz Santana battled through turbulent times to release his #FREESANTANAmixtape, Jadakiss released a solid effort with, Ignatiius, M.O.P’s own Billy Danze dropped The Listening Session, KRS-One and Public Enemy dropped protest anthems. Twenty-twenty also saw the return of Nas, whose King’s Disease album showed an exceptional ability to blend his old school style with newer melodies.
Pop Smoke’s Death
In a year that saw one celebrity after the other pass away tragically, New York felt their fair share of grief. On February 19, 2020 New York’s latest rising superstar, Pop Smoke, was fatally shot at a Los Angeles home in a botched robbery attempt. His death came a week after the release of his Meet the Woo 2 mixtape. His death was followed by outpouring support from fans and industry peers, including his music rising atop the charts.
The Kids from Buffalo
Building upon their established buzz, the trio known as Griselda — Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine and Benny the Butcher – continued their takeover as the faces of New York hip hop. The Buffalo natives brought some much-needed attention to upstate New York.
I know people in Buffalo that have never been to New York City in they life and they 30 years old. So, we come from one of them type of cities, that kind of mentality.
Westside Gunn – The Ringer.Known for their gritty-hard hitting tales of the street life, the group kept themselves ablaze with multiple releases from each member throughout 2020. Westside Gunn kicked things off with his April release of, Pray for Paris, followed by Flygod Is an Awesome God 2 and his self-proclaimed retirement album, WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE. Benny The Butcher released his much-anticipated Burden of Proof record, while Conway the Machine’s From a King to A God rounded up a strong year for the upstate rappers. Their influence not only stems from their music, but also in the way they market themselves. That mentality perhaps comes from their head honcho, Westside Gunn.
I never considered myself really a rapper, I just curate. I love putting different people together and just painting a certain picture..
Westside Gunn
Shoot For the Stars Aim For The Moon
Despite his life coming to a tragic end, Pop Smoke’s musical momentum didn’t waiver, with his popularity in fact rising. His debut studio album was announced with 50 Cent as executive producer. The star-studded album became the record of the summer, with all 19 tracks simultaneously charting on the Billboard 100, eventually reaching platinum status.
Listening to Pop come into his own as an artist was a bittersweet feeling. Despite the commercial success of the album, many songs consisted of either duplicated or unfinished verses. Yet, his ability to melodize on records like “Something Special” and “Backseat” combined with his already strong delivery on his grittier records made him a rarity in the drill rap genre. In fact, he had long surpassed the label of “drill rapper” and was blossoming into a superstar whose charisma would have made hip hop just the tip of his monetary exploits.
Alas, that future was not meant to be. Instead, Pop Smoke’s music, exploits and legacy will be passed down from generation-to-generation where he’ll eventually become a fabled and mythical figure. In due time, the sorrow from his passing will turn into nostalgia, where we’ll remember 2020 as the year Pop Smoke ruled the airwaves.
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Billy Joel Plays First New Year’s Show On Long Island in 25 Years
Billy Joel welcomed 2019 with a 26 song, 160 minute set at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island. It was the first time in 25 years that Billy Joel played a New Year’s show at the Coliseum. At midnight he played the traditional “Auld Lang Syne” paired with “Only the Good Die Young.” The Coliseum was sold out and Billy really seemed to be having a good time, while he wore a New Year’s top hat.
Billy Joel kept New Year’s spirit by playing New Year’s themed songs like “This is the Time,” “I Loved These Days” and “Souvenir.” As it got close to midnight, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve with Ryan Seacrest appeared on the screens and the crowd counted down to 2019. As confetti exploded and Billy sang “Auld Lang Syne,” a banner reading “Billy Joel: 34 Sold Out Shows” was unraveled from the ceiling of the Coliseum, commemorating the milestone.
The setlist included all the usual hits. He threw in a couple of breaks throughout the show like Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” and Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla.” He also did a cover of Joe Cocker’s take on The Beatles “With a Little Help From My Friends.” Kevin James made an appearance during “Uptown Girl” and Gavin DeGraw, who opened the show, joined Billy on stage for the final song “You May Be Right.”
Setlist: Big Shot, Miami 2017, The Entertainer, Vienna, The Downeaster Alexa, Big Man on Mulberry Street, This is the Time, Movin Out, New York State of Mind, Don’t Ask Me Why, The Ballad of Billy the Kid, I’ve Loved These Days, Allentown, She’s Always A Woman, Auld Lang Syne, Only the Good Die Young, My Life, The River of Dreams, With a Little Help From My Friends, Nessun dorma, Scenes From an Italian Restaurant, Piano Man.
Encore: We Didn’t Start the Fire, Uptown Girl, It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me, Souvenir, You May Be Right (with Gavin Degraw).
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New England Musicians Relief Fund Hopes to Distribute $300,000 to Musicians in Need
New England Musicians Relief Fund (NEMRF) announced its hopes to distribute $300,000 to musicians in need via a new fundraising drive. The funding would apply to any musician in New England and New York’s Upper Hudson Valley, facing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The New England Musicians Relief Fund’s mission statement explains that the organization aims to foster long-term security for professional musicians throughout the New England area by providing financial assistance and critical resources as a safety net for musicians experiencing unexpected or catastrophic income loss. The partnership between New England Musicians Relief, Sweet Relief, and NEMRF was able to raise emergency relief funds for musicians in a campaign that ran from July 1, 2020-August 29, 2020 and raised over $20,000.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely hard on the live entertainment industry. The New England Musicians Relief Fund hopes to help lessen this financial strain musicians are experiencing, especially with money from the CARES Act, which has run out. Additional government support doesn’t seem likely, anytime soon.
“Without assistance, some musicians will leave the industry, which could devastate our once-vibrant New England arts scene. Helping musicians today is an investment in the quality of life we all hope to return to,” said Hazel Dean Davis, a horn player and one of the founders of NEMRF. “We created NEMRF to help musicians weather the COVID-19 shutdown, but even as we devote all our resources to this current crisis, we realize the need for a safety net will extend beyond the virus. Whether it is long term side effects from COVID, a car accident, a lost instrument, or another nationwide shutdown, the New England Musicians Relief Fund will be here to support musicians in crisis for years to come.”
While New England Musicians Relief’s Fund 501(c)(3) status is pending, all donations will be processed by the NEMRF, and will be tax deductible retroactively after the federal approval of their tax exempt status. If people would prefer their donation be deductible immediately, please donate through our fiscal sponsor, Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston. Money donated to A&BC with the button below will be earmarked for NEMRF. People interested in donating can do so here. Musicians interested in applying for a grant can apply here.
For more information visit New England Musicians Relief Fund’s website.
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David Byrne and Maira Kalman Schedule Discussion on ‘American Utopia’ Book
The Book Museum of the City of New York will host a conversation with David Byrne and Maira Kalman and their book American Utopia on January 13. The conversation includes author, illustrator and artist Maira Kalman as well as Talking Heads frontman Byrne, who have worked together on a book version of Byrne’s American Utopia musical. The audience Q&A will be hosted by WNYC’s Alison Stewart.
Byrne and Kalman’s book, also titled American Utopia, was released on October 27 and contains some words from the musical, but it is mostly centered around illustrations. According to NPR’s review of American Utopia, “[the book] contains little of the play’s language; in fact, it contains little language, full stop. Some pages offer only a few words, or a notable place name — Truth or Consequences, New Mexico makes an appearance, as do Bullfrog, Utah and Goofy Ridge, Illinois—or, in one case, the chorus of the Talking Heads hit ‘Road to Nowhere.’ The resulting effect is much more like reading a book-length poem than reading a play, though few poems or poetry collections come filled with charming illustrations of trees, dancers, and party-hatted dogs.”
Just before the book was released, a concert-film version of American Utopia was released on HBO, directed by Spike Lee. Learn more here.
The conversation will be hosted on Zoom and will begin at 7 p.m. ET. While the event is free to register, there is a suggested donation component. Click here to register.
h/t Relix
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Roger Berlind, Broadway Producer and Winner of 25 Tonys, Dead at 90
Roger Berlind, a producer or co-producer of more than 100 plays and musicals on Broadway, including hits The Book of Mormon, Dear Evan Hansen, City of Angels and the revivals of Guys and Dolls and Kiss Me, Kate, died on December 18 at his home in Manhattan.
The cause of death was reported by his family as cardiopulmonary arrest. He was 90 years old
In a four-decade career in the theater, Berlind backed a great deal of original work on Broadway, amassing 25 Tony awards.
photo by Picture Perfect/REX According to the New York Times, Berlind helped bring buoyant musicals to the stage, like the smash 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls with Nathan Lane, as well as sophisticated literate dramas, like the original 1984 production of The Real Thing, Tom Stoppard’s dazzling exploration of the nature of love and honesty. The Real Thing swept the Tonys, winning for best play and best director (Mike Nichols) and garnering top acting awards for Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close and Christine Baranski.
Berlind was able to play the piano by ear and felt he was destined to be a songwriter, but that dream faded and he worked on Wall Street for a while. Tragedy struck while he was a partner at a brokerage firm, when his wife and three of his four children were killed in an airliner crash at Kennedy International Airport. Days later, he resigned from his firm.
Berlind told the New York Times in 1988, “The whole idea of building a business and making money didn’t make sense anymore. There was no more economic motivation.”
Born Roger Stuart Berlind on June 27, 1930 in Brooklyn, his parents were Peter Berlind, a hospital administrator, and Mae (Miller) Berlind, an amateur painter who also gave painting lessons while raising her four sons. When Roger was three, the family moved to Woodmere, Long Island, where he attended Woodmere Academy. He would later go on to Princeton University, majoring in English.
There, his life revolved around the theater and he joined the Triangle Club, which performs student-written comedies, and Theatre Intime, a student-run theatrical organization. In 1998, Berlind would donate $3.5 million to build the 350-seat Roger S. Berlind Theater as part of an expansion of Princeton’s McCarter Theater.
“He loved the big-band music of the ’40s, he could play almost any song from the American songbook and he had a great memory for lyrics,” his son William said in a phone interview with the New York Times. His own tunes ran to the simple and nostalgic, as reflected by their titles, “Lemon Drop Girlfriend” and “Isn’t It a Rainbow Day?” among them. But Tin Pan Alley was uninterested, and, needing a job, Mr. Berlind was pointed by friends to Wall Street.
Second wife Brooke Berlind said in an interview “The significant thing about Roger is that he made an incredible turnaround.”
While his first musical, Rex, was a flop, he had his first hit with the original 1980 production of Amadeus. The play, written by Peter Shaffer, directed by Peter Hall and starring Ian McKellen and Tim Curry, took home several Tonys, including best play.
Following that, early works included Sophisticated Ladies, Nine and 8½. Later successes included Proof, Doubt, The History Boys, Kiss me, Kate, the 2012 revival of Death of a Salesman and the 2017 revival of Hello, Dolly! He would work with actors including Glenn Close, Bette Midler, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeremy Irons, among many others.
Survivors include his wife and son, two granddaughters and a brother.
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Artist Spotlight: NYC Singer-Songwriter, 16-Year-Old Simone
Simone has our attention. Instantly hooked with off the cuff, blunt storylines and edgy alternative guitar, the 16-year-old singer/songwriter has crafted a name for herself, where music transcends beyond her years.
It’s just Simone. No fancy names or alter egos. The young and upcoming artist jumped into live performance at the age of ten at a Nashville open mic. “It was terrifying. I was definitely the youngest kid there and I was surrounded by these experienced, mature, 20 to 40-something-year-olds. I just remember begging my dad to take me home because I was so intimidated and nervous.”
But her music transpired. “I kind of blacked out while I was performing. The sound of applause and encouragement from the audience was so unreal and amazing. I immediately fell in love with performing and being able to share my songs to different people. It was a really important experience.”
The New York singer broke out two years later with her first batch of work in 2017. Stories in My Mind, Simone’s debut was released and arguably the most transformative, in her music and personal life. These years are life changing for most of the world, and to capture them through song and pure self-expression is quite magical.
“I was dealing with a lot of mental health struggles. And realized that instead of holding all of these emotions inside, I could write about them. I have changed a lot since that first EP, as a songwriter and just as a person. I would’ve liked anything that came out of those first recording sessions because I was just so excited to be there. It was something I dreamed about for so long.”
Aside from her professionalism, Simone gets to the point. Her song titles first make you chuckle, proving to be point blank and ever reliable. “It took awhile for me to arrive at the full transparency and honesty of my current songwriting process. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that when I started writing, there was a lot in life I had never experienced, or could even understand.” Songs like “Fuck, I’m Tired,” prove this point to be evermore true in a witty, clever way.
Now that I’m a little bit older, and get to watch R-rated movies and know a lot more about the world, romance and emotion. I find that people connect more to songs that are truthful. At the end of the day, we all go through a lot of similar things, and it’s so much more valuable to talk about it then to pretend it doesn’t exist.
Simone takes on independent singer/songwriter with her June 2020 release of Sad Songs For Depressed Girls, a three-track EP written and produced all on her own accord. This release featured “Fuck, I’m Tired,” as well as a sentimental “Julia.” The the heartfelt tenure of Simone’s guitar and falsetto will perk your ears. It’s as if you knew “Julia” better than she knew herself. Perhaps a lifelong, childhood best friend. The story is vivid and of self preservation.
Julia smoked weed alone in parking lots she said it helped her thoughts stop wandering off. And for a moment she felt free, but it all was temp-or-ar-y. And she stopped wishing for a heartbeat.
If you’re not into getting goosebumps, try the airy pop tracks of To Be Honest, released March of this year. This five-track EP, produced by Danny Ross, puts Simone’s songwriting in a different light. The songs are ones you dance to, and soundtrack worthy. Syncopated drums and grooving bass create foundation for the hooks of “The End of the World” and “Can’t Get Enough of You.” To Be Honest gets a little more sentimental as the record plays on.
Danny and I listen to a lot of tracks as a reference point when beginning a session. There’s a ton of pop influence, like Conan Gray, Taylor Swift, Troye Sivan, Lorde… the list goes on. I wrote the songs at different points in my life, but they all tell different stories about love and youth. Some were inspired from personal experiences and others from plot lines in TV shows. I’m excited to see what people will think.
Danny Ross is an indie rock frontman turned mad scientist pop producer mining new sounds for the TikTok generation with classic songwriting craft. He features Simone countless times on his Spotify portfolio.
Simone has crafted her skill and knows what it takes to make a hit song. “What I like about a song, either one that I write or one that I’m listening to, is a good hook that gets stuck in your head. If I write a song that’s all over the place and doesn’t have a lyric or a melody that people want to listen to over and over again, then I’ll usually leave it behind.”
A catchy chorus is so important to me, because it keeps the listener entertained throughout the song and excited when the chorus comes back around. I’m a sucker for a catchy chorus.
From the beginning Simone watched a lot of TV shows and movies surrounded by music that influenced her career. She was obsessed with soundtracks from Lemonade Mouth and High School Musicial. “That was a huge phase in my life and it got me really interested in performing and singing.” This was supported by her parents, a backbone in her path. Music was always around.
Currently Simone is listening to Taylor Swift – always. But has been into curating other up-coming female artists, like herself. Search, Holly Humberstone, Silver Sphere, and beabadoobe. In Simone’s words “They’re all killing it.”
Simone has more planned for 2021. After a strong year of music, her latest releases are the best yet. “I’m really proud of how I’ve grown in my songwriting and vocals, and I hope that comes across. I made these new tracks with Danny Ross, who I made the To Be Honest EP with. He’s amazing, and It was so fun to work with him again. I brought new songs to him and he brought them to life, and I’m so happy with how they turned out. I don’t wanna give too much away, but I’m really excited.”
Follow Simone on her website and Instagram.
Hey, if you like Taylor Swift, Conan Gray, Lorde, or anyone in that arena, you might like my music. I’m a 16-year-old singer/songwriter and I am influenced by a lot of pop and alternative artists. My songs are relatable, sometimes depressing, and sometimes fun. Whether you need a good cry or a good dance, I got you.
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Virtual Concert Series ‘Forevergreen: A Vermont Adventure In Music’ announces Twiddle, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, and more
Live music fans can now take an online adventure in music with the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing’s new free virtual event series, “Forevergreen: A Vermont Adventure In Music.” The newly established virtual concert series presents music fans with Vermont’s endless capacity for adventure and a roster of artists who have an affinity for the Green Mountain State.
Produced by Higher Ground Presents, Forevergreen’s five-part virtual concert series will feature local Vermont musicians as well as regional and national acts live from quintessentially “Vermont” stages like South Burlington’s Higher Ground as well as a some of the state’s most iconic ski resorts. The event series will see performances from Taj Mahal, Twiddle, Lucius, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Grace Potter, Chris Thile and Aoife O’Donovan, and more. For the full event schedule, head here.
All episodes of Forevergreen will stream live for free on the Vermont Tourism YouTube and Facebook channels at 7 p.m. ET. Watch the official teaser trailer of the event series below. More info can be found here.
December 26 – Taj Mahal, Twiddle, Kat Wright
December 30 – Lucius, Ryan Miller, Will Keeper
January 2 – Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Grace Potter, Dwight and Nicole
January 9 – Chris Thile and Aoife O’Donovan, Neko Case, Mikahely
January 16 – The Avett Brothers, Noah Kahan, The High Breaks
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Catch the New Weekly Livestream Series ‘Marble Eyes Mondays’
Marble Eyes announces their new weekly livestream series, ‘Marble Eyes Mondays.’ The streaming series will start on January 4, 2021 at 8 PM EST on Nugs.tv as well as the Nugs.net Facebook and YouTube pages.
A newly formed band during the pandemic era of music, Marble Eyes is a collection of national artists Eric Gould (bass, Pink Talking Fish), Adrian Tramontano (drums, Kung Fu), Mike Carter (guitar, The Indobox), and Max Chase (keys, Amulus). The band is based in Portsmouth, NH and has a soulful sound, hoping to bring joy to people across the country by creating brand new inspirational music and want to share this new music with people in this weekly series.
The band is teaming up with Nugs.net to present a livestream series which will take place every monday ergo the serieses name, “Marble Eyes Mondays,” Marble Eyes will perform a brand new concert every other Monday at 8PM ET. The performances will be hosted at The Press Room in Portsmouth NH. The concerts will be aired on Nugs.tv as well as the Nugs.net Facebook and YouTube pages. The series will be taking place every week through April of 2021.
With the pandemic looming over the music industry still, this will be a very different kind of winter for live entertainment. Just like most of 2020, most live performances are seeming unlikely for 2021. Because of this, Marble Eyes is giving music lovers an opportunity to get to know a new band during this time of livesteams via this series. There will be unique production added to the shows each month and, along with the existing collection of fresh material, the band will be introducing at least one song debut during each show.
For more information on the the series and the band visit their Facebook page.
