Author: Marilyn Feerick

Rob Mathes to hold online Holiday Concert Dec. 23

Because of the pandemic, it seemed impossible for Rob Mathes to hold his annual holiday this year. The concert also took a hiatus in 2019 so that Mathes could work with Sting on his musical The Last Ship. Mathes and a generous team have worked to make sure that the 26th concert will take place this December.

“The thought of yet another gap year for our annual Holiday concert in 2020 was depressing, but seemingly unavoidable,” said Mathes in a recent press release. “Then a few angels in the form of Deborah and Chuck Royce and Jane and Mike Peak arrived just in time. They agreed to put up some small honorariums for the musicians and crew so we could perform and film a concert with no audience and then stream it for free.” Everyone involved will practice social distancing to ensure safety.

The concert will be taped at the First Congressional Church of Old Greenwich in Connecticut and hosted by Reverend Patrick Collins and Minister of Music Craig Scott Symons. Accompanied by a choir of Saints & Friends, Mathes and his band will play an hour of free music available for anyone.

The band will have Shawn Pelton on Percussion, Zev Katz on Acoustic Bass, Andy Snitzer on Tenor Sax, and Vaneese Thomas and James “D-Train” Williams on vocals. The hour-long show of audience favorites will hopefully bring Christmas cheer to everyone in this pandemic. Emmy winner Bob Conover will film and Grammy winner Rory Young will record and mix the concert.

Photo by Lisa Meloni.

With great political unrest and a national health crisis, with it being very difficult, if not downright dangerous, to get in a room with family and friends this season, a love offering of music is being made possible!
Rob Mathes

The concert will air at 8PM on Wednesday, December 23 on Mathes’ YouTube channel. If you can’t make it then, the concert will be up online until New Year’s Day. It is free, but Mathes encourages audiences to donate to one of his favorite charities: Through the Eyes of Children.

The charity, which Mathes has been supporting since 2003, is a nonprofit that teaches photography to vulnerable children. It allows these children not only to learn about art and photography, but to document their own lives and share their voices.

Despite the pandemic’s difficulty, his Holiday Concert is not Mathes’ first project of this year. He produced and arranged five songs for the David Lynch Foundation’s Meditate America benefit which feature Graham Nash, Sting, Jim James, Kesha, Angelique Kidjo, Larkin Poe, and Elvis Costello. The socially-distant recorded tracks include a Gospel Choir, String and Horn sections and Rhythm Section featuring Steve Jordan on Drums, (Keith Richards, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Neville Brothers) and Larry Campbell on Guitars (Bob Dylan, Levon Helm).

Rob Mathes also directed the first live streamed show at the Kennedy Center post pandemic with Renee Fleming and Vanessa Williams. He has collaborated with producer Jake Sinclair on a Weezer record, and Sting and Italian pop star Zucchero on Sting’s 2021 song “September.” He also orchestrated and conducted the music for the upcoming movie musical In the Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and is currently in pre-production on a record with singer-songwriter Pete Muller.

Additionally, Mathes played a role in Robert Plant and Jimmy Page getting full copyright over “Stairway to Heaven.” Led Zepplin and its lawyers asked Mathes to join the team as a music expert because of his arrangement of the song in 2012.

Catch the concert on Wednesday, December 23 at 8 on YouTube, and keep up with Rob Mathes on his Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

December 23, 2020
New York Philharmonic pay cuts suggest pandemic will last

Under the financial stress of the pandemic, the New York Philharmonic musicians have agreed to a four-year contract with 25% salary cuts until August 2023.

From nyphil.org

Although pay will increase from 2023 to 2024, the wage cuts total more than $20 million, and musicians will still be paid less than at the start of the pandemic when the contract ends. Deborah Borda, Chief Executive and President of the orchestra, honestly stated that the cuts were “necessary.” The pandemic will keep the Philharmonic closed for at least 15 months, causing at least $31 million in losses.

Musicians have had wage cuts since May, but this contract is the most substantial. However, musicians at the New York Philharmonic have been understanding. The head of the player’s negotiating committee, Colin Williams, said “in recognition of the challenges of this time, we have done our part to help preserve the institution by forgoing more than $20 million of our wages.”

Photo by Chris lee from nyphil.org

In venues like the Metropolitan Opera, where 30% pay cuts have been requested, not all workers are willing to deal with such financial losses. The Met’s management planned to lock out workers who had not agreed to the proposed cuts. The employees of the opera have been without pay since April and will not be paid until the cuts are accepted. After the venue begins to recover financially, the cuts will be reduced to 15%. At the Philharmonic, cuts will drop to 10%.

The Philharmonic has cancelled all planned shows up until June 2021. This is only a portion of NYC’s live art impacted by the pandemic. All Broadway theaters are closed until May 2021 at least, making this the longest time Broadway has been dark, ever.

The contract, which ends in 2024, makes the lasting impact of this pandemic even more visible to the art and music community. Despite live venues’ plan to open sometime this upcoming year, it is clear that the financial road to recovery will be slow.

December 16, 2020
Broadway Buskers Series Takes Final Bow

Broadway Buskers Concert Series concluded their season of live streamed performances for Broadway fans everywhere, this past October.

Since 2018, Broadway Buskers has hosted concerts in Times Square to showcase Broadway workers’ original music in between shows. The Times Square Alliance did not let COVID-19 stop them from sharing music and good vibes with the Broadway community. From August to October, fans streamed Broadway Buskers concerts every Tuesday at 7PM.

Photo via Getty Images

The final two shows wrapped up the series with a bang. Juwan Crawley (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Aladdin), Cheeyang Ng (Eastbound, MĀYĀ), and Anthony Norman (The Prom, Chicago Med) closed the season after baby chemist (Katie Lee Hill & Travis Artz: New Amsterdam, SpongeBob LIVE on Nickelodeon; Transformers: Cyberverse, My Very Own British Invasion) and Jai’Len Josey (SpongeBob SquarePants) performed the week before. Watch Buskers performances on the Times Square Alliance’s YouTube channel.

Even though the quarantine has hurt many, people are connecting virtually like never before. Songwriter and Broadway actress Jennifer Sanchez notes:

“The most rewarding part about buskers has been connecting with the artists and the gifts of their songs. The openness and supportiveness was special…even when the virus shut it down and we all felt kind of isolated, we were able to make collaborate and music. It’s pretty magical.”

Cheeyang Ng describes the shift to online as “challenging,” because “without the face-to-face human connection one gets when we’re doing something like that in Times Square is quite sad.” Still, having virtual concerts “means the opportunity for a wider range of people to hear some new musical theatre.” Even though Broadway is closed, programs like Broadway Buskers are making theatre more accessible than every before.

baby chemist, photo by Gabriella Spiegel

For baby chemist, their set became “hybrid show of live interview, sketch, and banter mixed with pre-recorded musical performances.” Hill said “by playing into this new hybrid format, we were actually able to create an atmosphere that was closer to the off-beat vibe of what one of our live, in-person shows is like!”

She loves “that Broadway Buskers gives actors a platform to show another side of their artistry, giving them a chance to perform in a way you might not have heard them get to do yet in an onstage musical.”

With these weekly shows, the Times Square Alliance has celebrated songwriters from all places and backgrounds. Audiences watched the talent the Broadway community has to offer for free. If possible, however, fans can donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund to help those struggling. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has been funding AIDS treatment and creating grants to help those in need since 1988.

December 15, 2020
Trampoline Jetstream’s “Jerry” was worth the wait

Utica band Trampoline Jetstream just released their latest single, “Jerry,” which has been in the works since 2018.

The four person indie rock band began to record “Jerry” in Utica two years ago. Before they could finish, vocalist Nick Vanderwood suffered an injury that left him unable to sing. The band put the project on hold until February 2020, just before the COVID epidemic put everything on pause. Trampoline Jetstream had finished recording, but had to delay production and gigs further.

The band joked that the album was cursed. “At one point we almost abandoned the project completely to begin writing a new album,” said drummer Adam Manion. “In the end, we felt too strongly about these songs and decided to release them as an EP.”

It’s no shock that Trampoline Jetstream couldn’t abandon the project – the songs are incredibly personal. “These songs really are about figuring out your place in the world and wishing you could rewind yourself,” said guitarist Alex Verbickas. This feeling is present in “Jerry,” which “was inspired by a feeling of nostalgia and longing for youthful memories that have passed while also growing older” noted on the band’s SoundCloud. The indie band draws inspiration from different genres but pulls it all together with solid guitar and lyrics. With their varied style, even their instrumentals have the same nostalgic quality that their lyrics speak about.

Fans are glad the band didn’t abandon “Jerry,” too. Audiences loved it so much that the band changed their name to the track’s first title, “Trampoline Jetstream.” Now, years later, those audiences along with the rest of the world can listen to “Jerry” and the other tracks to come.

The full EP, Jerry, will also feature “I Confide” and “Rewind/Barney’s Quadrant.” The band will follow it with a companion EP released early 2021. Stream “Jerry” and Trampoline Jetstream’s other music now on SoundCloud and Spotify. Follow the band on Instagram and Facebook so you don’t miss any updates on their new releases!

October 30, 2020
Broadway Stays Dark Until May 2021

On March 12, all Broadway theaters went dark due to the coronavirus pandemic. Theaters hoped on opening this January, but the shutdown has been extended through at least May 30, 2021.

A poster on Times Square advertises West Side Story at the Broadway Theater on February 7, 2020 in New York City. – Westside Story is returning to Broadway for the first time in more than a decade, directed by Belgian Ivo Van Hove. (Photo by Johannes EISELE / AFP) (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)

On October 9, The Broadway League announced that Broadway will remain dark until next Summer. This shutdown is the longest ever in Broadway’s history. If theaters open as planned next May, shows will have been closed for 444 days, keeping thousands out of work for more than a year.

“With nearly 97,000 workers who rely on Broadway for their livelihood and an annual economic impact of $14.8 billion to the city, our membership is committed to re-opening as soon as conditions permit us to do so. We are working tirelessly with multiple partners on sustaining the industry once we raise our curtains again.”
Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League

Before the shutdown, 31 productions were running on Broadway, including 8 new shows in previews. 8 additional shows were in rehearsals with plans to open last spring. Hangmen, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Disney’s Frozen struggled greatly and closed permanently. Shows like Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster’s revival of The Music Man, American Buffalo, and The Minutes postponed their opening dates. The Music Man announced plans to open on February 10, 2022.

Photo by Kate Glicksberg

Needless to say, the Broadway community’s fans and workers are heartbroken. The Broadway League announced that although the current opening date is May 30, individual production’s reopening dates may differ. The League suggests that “theatregoers holding tickets for dates through May 30, 2021 should contact their point of purchase for details about exchanges and refunds.”

Amid this crisis, fans can still look forward to the 2020 Tony Awards. The show will be presented virtually, and the nominees for each category will be announced October 15.

October 10, 2020
Radial Park brings Broadway Theater to the Drive-in

Although the coronavirus pandemic has left Broadway shut down until next year, the Friends of Hallets Point and Stark Production have teamed up to introduce Radial Park, a drive-in theater in Queens with a Broadway twist.

Photo by Tricia Baron

Starting this month, Hallets Point Play has begun to offer Broadway experiences, from big screen movies to full scale live productions. Radial Park’s first show, a live production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, officially opened this month. An 11-piece orchestra brings this show to life along with talented actors Ali Ewoldt (Les Miserables National Tour and Broadway, The Phantom of the Opera Broadway, and The King and I Regional Tour and Broadway) and Derrick Davis (The Phantom of the Opera National Tour, The Lion King National Tour). Ice cold beverages and movie theater snacks are available.

Radial Park is taking extreme measures in order to maintain their guests’ safety. All have their temperature checked upon entry, and can choose a glow in the dark wristband to make others aware of his or her comfort level: green bracelets for go, yellow for being cautious, and red to tell others not to come near. Fans can enjoy the show from their own cars, but those without vehicles are welcome to rent a socially-distanced picnic table complete with a boombox for audio. There are COVID “lifeguards” on duty all night to ensure that everyone practices social distancing.

Ali Ewoldt as Christine in Phantom. Photo by Tricia Baron.

“The Durst Organization is thrilled to host such a creative concept from Stark Productions,” said Helena Rose Durst, Principal at The Durst Organization. “Radial Park will provide a unique live entertainment experience that we are all craving during these difficult times, but in a safe and responsible way.” The Durst Organization also holds 20 tickets each performance for Astoria Houses residents. A portion of sales goes to Friends of Hallets Point, a nonprofit organization that improves the community life and beauty of Hallets Point.

“As the saying goes, ‘The show must go on!’” commented Jeremy Shepard, Stark Production Group Founder and President. “We are thrilled to be able to be presenting Broadway at the drive-in and are grateful to our partners, Friends of Halletts Point and the Durst Organization, for making it all possible.” Radial Park is personal to Shepard, and he hopes that it can help lighten New Yorkers’ spirits during quarantine. “I chose Broadway because it has been a part of my life for the last 10 years,” he says. “It seems a shame it is shut down when we all need it the most. Can’t wait to see you at Broadway at the drive-in!”

Starting this weekend, a full screening of Purple Rain will run until October 25. Audiences will watch the film along with nine live numbers performed by the Radial Park Band, American Idol Finalist Aaron Marcellus, Broadway’s Nick Rashad, and Burroughs and Grammy award nominee, Lenesha “Sister” Randolf.

Tickets are available for Phantom of the Opera and Purple Rain now. Prices are per car (up to 5 people) or per picnic table (up to 4). Sign up for Radial Park’s mailing list and don’t miss news and exclusive offers.

October 9, 2020
Elmo Makes Lincoln Center Debut on ‘A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration’

Jazz at Lincoln Center makes music for all ages–even toddlers. On October 30 at 9PM EST, Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration will debut on national PBS stations.

The hour-long special will feature the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis along with Elmo, Bert & Ernie, Big Bird, Herry Monster, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, The Count, Abby, Hoots the Owl, and Rosita.

Wynton Marsalis and Ernie

The orchestra takes Sesame Street favorites like “Rubber Duckie,” “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon,” and “People in Your Neighborhood” and re-imagines them for the stage. On October 30, PBS will premier the Sesame Street gang singing these classics to a sold out audience.

Since 1969, Sesame Street has introduced young children to music and culture. Jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, and Mary Lou Williams all performed on the show. Kenny Rampton, member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, plays in Sesame Street’s house band.

In this special, Wynton Marsalis meets back up with the familiar the Children’s Television Workshop characters after visiting them on the show in 1991 and 1998.

A Swingin’ Sesame Street Orchestra is funded by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the show. The performance is a part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s educational and diverse programs that hope to ensure that younger generations appreciate jazz in the future.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s other educational programs, such as Swing University, WeBop, Essentially Ellington, and Middle School Jazz Academy are available online at jazz.org. They aim to show jazz as a metaphor for democracy and freedom.

Paying tribute to Sesame Street’s New York roots, as of May 1, 2019, sunny days can be found every day at the intersection of West 63rd Street and Broadway. Honoring the show’s 50th anniversary, New York City gave Sesame Street its own real intersection.

Jazz great Wynton Marsalis has been a frequent guest on Sesame Street—and now, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark series, he’s returning the favor. On A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration, Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra host the gang in the “House of Swing” for a big band salute to a very special show.

October 5, 2020
Brooklyn Duo Bottler Capture Natural Beauty with “Soft Winds”

Brooklyn’s electronic music duo Bottler released “Soft Winds,” their first single off their newest EP Grow, set to release on October 9. The collaboration with Samurai Velvet captures the mesmerizing beauty of the tropics’ ambiance with lyrics about reclaiming power in relationships.

Photo by Rick Perez

After working on different projects for years, lifelong friends Pat Butler and Phil Shore founded Bottler in 2017. Their strong emotional bond has allowed them to make musical discoveries together and explore their creative chemistry. The two break the boundaries of conventional music and represent true creative freedom. They don’t limit themselves to a single genre or form, and experiment with indie, dance, and electropop with acoustic, digital, and analog instrumentation. Their unique style is inspired by the vibrant Brooklyn music scene. Bottler’s artistic inspiration combines the past, present, and future of music.

This blending of style is truly present in “Soft Winds,” which captures the feeling and sounds of nature’s beauty. Bottler says that “the song materialized in a day” on a trip to the tropics. “The goal was to capture the feeling of being in awe at the beauty of nature around us.” “Soft Winds” transports you to a place of tranquility with its blend of the electronic and the natural.

The track shows all the wonder of Bottler’s personality blended together with vocals from Samurai Velvet’s Saige Smith. As good friends with Bottler, Samurai Velvet “were moved and eager to collaborate” after hearing the track. Smith’s voice and lyrics stand out in the track, as she sings about reclaiming personal power after infidelity. The message of inner strength matches perfectly with the everyday quality of Bottler’s instrumentals. Surrounded by nothing but nature’s beauty, Smith sings, “I have the power to make myself free.”

Grow follows Bottler’s previous EP, Clementine, and describes Bottler’s personal and creative growth. Bottler recorded the EP in their home studio with their analog synths, guitars, pianos, samples, and drum machines. The homemade quality contributes to the individual message of the album for Butler and Shore. Grow is Bottler’s debut with French electronic label InFiné, who quickly discovered them after the release of Clementine.

“Soft Winds” is available to stream now. Stay tuned for Grow‘s release on October 9.

September 30, 2020
YouTube Joins NIVA to Save Independent Venues

Since the coronavirus pandemic, many music venues are struggling without live audiences. In an effort to keep independent venues from closing, the National Independent Venue Association, NIVA, has launched a partnership with YouTube Music to preserve live music venues across the United States.

Courtesy of NIVA

Through the #SaveOurStages initiative, NIVA and YouTube are working to adopt a plan to safely bring live music back to venues. According to NIVA, “90% of independent venues report that if the shutdown lasts six months and there’s no federal assistance, they will never reopen again.” The Save Our Stages initiative includes a letter to Congress urging that funding be given to these venues, as they not only are important for art and entertainment, but contribute greatly to their town’s and city’s economy. An overwhelming amount of people have signed this letter, and artists can still sign here.

In the meantime, YouTube is boosting NIVA’s Emergency Relief Fund, which NIVA has created to help the country’s most vulnerable venues while waiting for Congress’ response. The fund will provide short-term relief to independent venues that are currently at risk of closing due to the COVID-19 shutdown. It will aim to work closely with federal programs to keep venues open. Applications for venues will be open until September 24.

YouTube’s involvement in the project will spread awareness to a large amount of people that would not have heard about #SaveOurStages. “YouTube’s direct involvement helps us generate awareness for the plight of independent live music and raise funds for NIVA’s Emergency Relief efforts,” says Stephen Sternshein, co-founder and treasurer of NIVA. “This could literally be the difference between some venues going under or holding on until Congress comes back from recess to pass much-needed
federal relief.”

“YouTube is a place where artists and fans around the world come to connect and build community. With traditional concerts on hold, never has there been a more important time to support the live music industry through our partnership with NIVA. We’re committed to doing our part in saving independent venues and continuing to bring artists and fans together through music.”
Robert Kyncl, YouTube Chief Business Officer

You can help NIVA’s goal to preserve independent music venues by donating to the Emergency Relief Fund. If you can’t donate, petition to your Congress representatives to back the plan, and check NIVA’s YouTube channel for upcoming announcements.

The independent concert industry will be reeling for years to come from the devastating revenue loss related to COVID-19, so we’re excited about what YouTube and NIVA can do together to bring the live experience back.
Stephen Sternshein

September 24, 2020
Ruby Mack: The Feminist Folk Band’s Unique Debut

Ruby Mack, a new all-female folk band, already makes waves and questions society as we know it with their debut album Devil Told Me, out on October 23.

Photo credit Gianna Colson

In their new album, feminist folk ensemble Ruby Mack turns a traditional bible story completely on its head. What if Eve had eaten the Garden of Eden’s forbidden fruit without shame and then shared her knowledge with the world? In Devil Told Me, Ruby Mack tell their story as direct descendants from that Eve.

Named after Massachuttes’ Pioneer Valley’s Ruby McIntosh Apple, Ruby Mack is made up of Emma Ayres (Vocals/guitar), Abbie Duquette (bass uke), Zoe Young (guitar/vocals), and Abs Kahler (fiddle). In their upcoming album, these strong musicians dig deeper into what it really means to be a woman, or even to reject this label. Devil Told Me closely examines several stories, mythologies, and societal norms that we have been taught to accept without question. These feminists will push social boundaries aside with the release of their album on October 23.

Ruby Mack’s music explores topics left unsaid in traditional folk music. The group tells in “Breadwinner” that they want to be the relationship’s provider as women. The softer “Milktooth” encourages listeners to become fully themselves despite rigid societal rules. The song expresses developing and growing up. “It’s about rejecting the ways in which we are initially told who we are and what we are” notes guitar-vocalist Ayres with the lyrics “Always fighting in this civil war/ Since the devil told me I was born a girl.”

Ruby Mack has come into their own in Massachusetts. “I definitely found my identity as a musician in this place,” Duquette expresses. “The support encouragement I found in the area made me feel like I too could be an artist.” The group has felt united with the music culture of the area. “There’s such an amazing culture of folk music in the valley”, says Kahler, “and we’ve been inspired by so many queer folk artists here.” The band claims their corner of Pioneer Valley, MA area as one of the strongest inspirations for Devil Told Me.

Photo credit Gianna Colson

Listeners can appreciate this album even more today while missing concerts due to COVID-19. The tracks were recorded in an old church, and each song has a strong live feel to it, demanding attention with its energy. Young explains that it was important for the album “to have that special magic of a collaborative performance,” and the result does not disappoint.

The four friends have passionately worked together to create something both beautiful and impactful, starring memorable harmonies and strings as well as poignant lyrics. Farce The Music released a single from the album, “Machine Man,” which is available now. Kahler calls it “an ode to the blue-collar workers, the skilled laborers, without whom the fabric of the lives we live would surely unravel.”

Preorder Devil Told Me now, and listen when it releases on October 23.

September 15, 2020