NYS Music 202​0

Author: Nora Hones

  • NYIVA Releases Data on the Dire State of Independent Live Venues in New York

    NYIVA, also known as the New York Independent Venue Association, released data on the dire state of independent live venues throughout New York due to COVID-19. The information was released on October 25, 2020 and includes how many respondents, the amount of months before business will be forced to close permanently, the monthly relief needed, and the amount of debt accrued by them already. 

    The information is based on responses from NYIVA’s members comprising a majority of the music and comedy venues within the state. Currently, independent venues across New York State have accrued and estimated $105 million in debt at a rate of $15 million per month. Of the 68 respondents (representing approximately 1/3 of the industry), more than half have stated they will close for good within the next 90 days, even with the state’s eviction moratorium in place due to the pandemic. 

    Three of the 68 respondents say they will be forced to close in less than a month. One says they will be forced to close in a month. 18 say they will be forced to close within two months. 15 will be forced to close within three months. Six will be forced to close within four months. The respondents would need $5,155,015 monthly to stay afloat. They are currently in $20,073,835 of debt due to the pandemic. 

    NYIVA’s co-chair Jen Lyon explains the difficulties businesses will having trying to come back with the amount of debt they have accrued saying, “Paying this back, even without interest, will eat into most if not all of our members’ businesses profits for the next five years — and that’s if they aren’t forced by the weight of their debt to fold before that. New York stands on the precipice of losing the critical cultural and economic institutions that make up our vibrant live performance communities as well as significant tourism revenue for the state. This is not sustainable. We need help now.”

     New York state has received $5 billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) from March 30 till now. Currently New York independent venues are looking for a mere 1.5% ($75 million) of the state CRF allocation to save New York’s music and comedy clubs in order to stay afloat until a national aid package is passed. Independent venues haven’t received nearly as much aid as they need to stay afloat. Hopefully the CARES act with the addition of Save Our Stages will be passed soon and help protect independent venues from shutting down.

    For more information on the survey details visit NYIVA’s website.

  • The Syracuse Area Music Awards Announces Dates and Criteria for 2021

    The Syracuse Area Music Awards announces dates and criteria for their 2021 award show. The Syracuse Area Music Awards  or more commonly known as the Sammys will be taking place on March 5th and will stream free on their website here. The awards show ceremony will stream live from SubCat Studios and will include musical performances by area artists and bands.

    The Sammys was first held back at the Landmark Theater in 1993. The Sammys award show has become the number one local music award event in the Central New York Area over the years. SubCat Studios was founded back in 2001 as a DIY project studio in Skaneateles, NY. It now resides in Armory Square in Syracuse, NY and is owned by Ron Keck who has been working with digital recording since 1989. Today the studio is known for it’s high-quality studio recording, remote recording, audio mixing and mastering.

    There will be a number of awards that will  be presented this year. There will be 12 recording categories, there will be 4 People’s Choice awards categories, the Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist, the Jack O. Bocchino Spirit of the Sammys Award, and the Community Spirit Award. 

    Submission rules will be a little different this year starting with all artist recorded submissions be accepted online only. Recorded submissions will begin December 1, 2020. Furthermore each artist must select one category they wish to be judged in and their recorded work can only consist of commercially released albums or EPs, released between January 1 – December 31, 2020 by artists in the Syracuse area are eligible. All entries must be available on Apple Music, Spotify or Tidal. No physical recordings will be accepted. Categories subject to change at the discretion of the judges. Entry form will be available here and must be submitted by January 6, 2021.

    There are a lot of supporting sponsors of the awards show for 2021. The sponsored include: The Rebel Rocks, Bridge Street, SubCat Music Studios, CNY Alive!, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, KMASE Productions, Joshua Johnson Design, Skinner & Associates Realty, American Vintage Productions, NYS Music, News Channel 9, 95X, 93Q, and 92.1 The WOLF,  and 315 Music.

    For more information visit the Syracuse Area Music Awards website.

  • Independent Venue Week Launches Weeklong Fundraiser for NIVA Emergency Relief Fund

    The Independent Venue Week announces their weeklong fundraiser benefiting the The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) Emergency Relief Fund. The auction will be taking place between October 24 – 30, 2020. It will host memorabilia for auction to the general public and the revenue will help assist independent venues and promoters.

    Independent Venue Week NIVA

    The NIVA Emergency Relief Fund is raising money for the most vulnerable venues to try to keep them afloat while waiting on Congress to pass Save Our Stages. The fund will be administered to these affected venues by The Giving Back Fund; a separate non-profit that will collect the money and oversee the application process for venues to receive grants from the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund. People can directly donate to the fund here.

    People will have the chance to bid on one of 70+ pieces of music history throughout the week in an effort to #SaveOurStages for the years of history to come. Items up for auction include everything from two original paintings from Independent Venue Week  Artist Ambassador, Alison Mosshart (The Kills/The Dead Weather), a pair of seats from the original Merriweather Pavilion,  Al Bouchard’s (Blue Oyster Cult) very own Fender Jaguar Bass, signed by the rock legend himself, a limited edition vinyl box set from Blue Note Records, curated by the legendary jazz label’s president, Don Was, a stunning Epiphone “White Lightning” Explorer signed by Tommy “Spaceman” Thayer (KISS), courtesy from the Gibson Foundation, and much more. 

    Independent Venue Week NIVA
    Merriweather Post Pavilion Original Seats. Photo provided by press release.

    The auctioned items and programming will be held and by some of the country’s most treasured live venues. There are over 140 participating venues. Independent Venue Week is partnering  Eventbrite, Big Room, Ascend Insurance Brokerage, and School of Rock to bring the auction to life.

    Brand new Epiphone “White Lightning” Explorer signed by Tommy “Spaceman” Thayer from KISS. Photo provided by press release.

    The Independent Venue Week is also introducing a series of discussion panels featuring professionals from all aspects of the live music industry to discuss their experiences, expertise, and the future of live events. The topics will include what venues can do to help build and diversify their audience, how live events are adapting to a virtual world, and the importance these stages have to the economy and community. October 29 will involve an entire day for students to “Get Schooled” and will feature programming that is aimed towards students getting their start in the live music and events industry.

    The full list of items and week’s programming can be found at Independent Venue Week’s website.

  • Planet Afropunk Announces Lineup for Global Virtual Show

    Planet Afropunk announces their lineup for their global virtual show. The free virtual show is taking place on October 23-25, 2020 and will include big names like Common, Mayra Andrade, Dua Saleh, Larissa Luz + Carlinhos Brown, Asiatica, Black Haus, Mc Yallah, T. Nava, Tciyf, Yves Tumor and many more. Planet Afropunk hopes to be a safe space for people to celebrate and inspire, cry and shout, and to heal and motivate one another during these trying times. 

    Planet Afropunk plans to create new ways for people to experience the next generation of Black creativity, music and culture. They plan to do this by bringing together the largest virtual gathering of the worldwide Black creative community into one curated online space in 15 years. One of the reasons Planet Afropunk is able to be such a big global celebration is because of it’s partners. These partners will help power Afropunk’s iconic digital destinations and make it a one of a kind show this year. Some of the big names they are partnering with include VERIZON, BOSE, TEQUILA DON JULIO, Ideaville, powered by Target. VERIZON is helping to bring the artist lineup for AFROPUNK’S festival on the World Stage. BOSE is supporting the audience’s musical discovery journey through a special set from Masego, Serpentwithfeet and Jonah Mutono also on the World stage. TEQUILA DON JULIO 1942 who is powering sets by DJ Poison Ivy and DJ Ruckus. Ideaville, powered by Target, will spotlight Black voices and stories. They hope to succeed at doing this by creating a safe space for all of AFROPUNK’s communities. Part of their charge in doing this is by partnering with Penguin Random House to uplift Black voices by featuring a selection of NY-Times best-selling authors in our Rock N’ Read Bookstore and powering author readings and conversations. 

    The full line up of musicians participating in the Planet Afropunk global virtual show include: Afrobapho, Afrocidade feat. Majur and Mahal Pita, Ari Lennox, Arka’n Asrafokor, ASIATICA, ÀTTØØXXÁ feat. Hiran, Balimaya Project, Blac Rabbit, BLACK HAÜS, Bongeziwe Mabandla, Bootsy Collins, Common, DJ Poison Ivy, DJ Ruckus, Dua Saleh, Duckwrth, DUMA, Duo B.A.V.I., Durand Bernarr, Ecko Bazz, Elaine, Jahmed, Johnny Cradle, Jonah Mutono, KIRBY, Larissa Luz + Carlinhos Brown, Loshh, Lous and the Yakuza, Masego, Mayra Andrade, MC Yallah, Mereba, Meshell N’Dege Ocello, Moonchild Sanelly, Moonga K., Moses Sumney, Muneyi, Muzi, Nêssa, Rebelmatic, Sampa The Great, Serpentwithfeet, Smino, Solo Ntsizwa Ka Mthimkhulu, Songhoy Blues, T. Nava, Tawiah, TCIYF, The Veldt, Theon Cross, Tiana Major9, Tiwa Savage, Tobe Nwigwe, Tomi Agape, TrapFunk & Alívio, Ukhoikhoi, Virus, Yan Cloud, Yves Tumor. 

    There will also be some speakers at the event which will include Amanda Seales, Ashlee Marie Preston, Blerdcon, Bridget Todd, Dawn Richard, Dulcé Sloan, Ivie Anie, Jesse Williams, Maimouna Youssef AKA Mumu Fresh, Robert Glasper, Tamika D. Mallory, Terrace Martin.

    People interested in attending and getting more information can visit Afropunk’s website. People who don’t want to miss any exclusives and updates on the event can RSVP here.

  • HeadCount Announces Hitting One Million Voter Registrations and its Upcoming Partnership with Grubhub

    HeadCount announces it’s one million voter registration since its formation on October 20, 2020 which is a huge milestone for the nonprofit. HeadCount is also announced its partnership with Grubhub to bring it’s “Deliver Your Voice” event to life where the two companies will encourage further voter registration before the upcoming election. The event will take place on October 29 and 30 and will feature 24KGoldn and Dominic Fike.

    HeadCount Grubhub

    In this election alone HeadCount has registered over 423,000 voters, more than twice their original goal. They’ve managed to do this with a variety of techniques but one of the biggest ones is by influencers promoting voter registration. They have partnered with names like Ariana Grande, David Dobrik, and Dead & Company and companies like Spotify to bring these huge numbers of new registered voters to reality. 

    The “Deliver Your Voice” event consists of HeadCount hosting Grubhub’s next edition of their Sound Bites concert series, Soundbites – Election Edition which is presented by First Tube Media. The event will feature 24KGoldn on Thursday, October 29and Dominic Fike on Friday, October 30 who will take the virtual stage each for a 45-minute set. Each set will start at 7PM EST followed by a live Q&A, further encouraging fans to participate in this year’s election. Grubhub will donate $10 for every comment during the lives tream, up to $100,000,  to HeadCount in support of the on-going initiative to promote civic engagement. Fans will also be able to order in with exclusive Perks to avoid missing a second of the concert through Grubhub. 

    HeadCount is introducing a new way for people to reach out to friends and family to check in on voter registration. HeadCount is providing an easy way to contact friends and help them vote through an app called OutVote. HeadCount is doing a brief 20 minute introduction session to the OutVote platform via Zoom next week on the below dates and times. October 23rd – 7pm ET/4pm PT, October 25th – 3pm ET/12pm PT,  and October 27th – 6pm ET/3pm PT. People interested can sign up for any of the above sessions here. Once confirmed for a training, people will be sent an email with a zoom link for the session 24-48 hours before your session.

    For more information on HeadCount or to register to vote visit their website.

  • Beastie Boys Campaign Ad for Joe Biden Gets Pulled Over Harassment to Featured Club Owner

    The Beastie Boys announced their decision to allow their song, “Sabotage” for a Biden and Harris Presidential Campaign ad. Unfortunately the ad was pulled due to the featured club owner receiving harassment from President Trump supporters just days after debuting on October 18, 2020 This is the first time the band has ever allowed one of their songs to be used for a presidential ad. The ad focuses on how COVID-19 is detrimentally affecting the live entertainment industry. 

    https://youtu.be/SW86jyTsYe4

    The Beastie Boys have sued Monster Energy and GoldieBox  in the past for using their songs without permission in their ads. The only things they have allowed is the use of “Sabotage” in trailers for “Star Trek” and the “Destiny 2” video game.

    The Beastie Boys are a hip hop and rap group from New York City that formed back in 1978 under the original name Young Aborigines before becoming the Beastie Boys in 1981. Some of their most well known songs include “Sabotage,” “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” “Fight for Your Right” and many many more. Their debut album, Licensed to Ill, was the first rap record to top the Billboard 200 chart. They have eight studio albums and have become a household name throughout the years and recently released a documentary “Beastie Boys Story Out Now” on April 14, 2020.

    The Ad focuses on the venue the Blind Pig that is a club Ann Arbor, Michigan that has been extremely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The venue was shut down after its 50 years of existence where it was a substantiation part of its community. It’s owner in the ad speaks about how he considers Donald Trump’s shortsighted response to the coronavirus crisis is one of the main reasons his venue is in such poor shape. 

    A spokesperson from the Biden campaign according to the Variety article explained that, “the Beastie Boys, who had ‘never licensed music for an ad until now,’ agreed to the use of “Sabotage” in the spot ‘because of the importance of the election.’”

    The Ad was pulled on Wednesday October 21, 2020 after the owner of the Blind Pig received threats and was attacked by Trump supporters. Campaign spokesperson Bill Russo expanded on the situation saying, “The price for having a voice in our political process cannot be endless harassment. And yet, that is what Joe Malcoun and his family currently face as he was doxxed, harassed and threatened after the Trump campaign has sought to smear a community leader who dared to speak out against Trump’s failed response to the Covid crisis. It is shameful,” according to The New York Times article.

    For more information on the Beastie Boys visit their website and for more information on the The Biden and Harris Presidential Campaign visit their website. 

    *Article Updated on October 23, 2020*

  • Hudson Valley Votes Announces Get-Out-The-Vote Virtual Concert

    Hudson Valley Votes (HVV) announces their third annual Get-Out-The-Vote virtual concert encouraging voter turnout. The virtual concert will take place on HVV’s YouTube and social media channels on Saturday, October 17, 2020. The lineup includes big names like Natalie Merchant, Norah Jones, Emily King, Antonio Delgado, Michelle Hinchey and more. 

    The event will include musicians, candidates, actors, students, and activists from the Hudson Valley area and beyond. The event encourages people to come together, celebrate, and defend their right to vote in what they call, “the most important election our country has ever faced.” The concert will take place online and will be free to the public. Donations via ActBlue are encouraged, with net proceeds to benefit Common Cause New York. As in years past, all of the performers and artists have donated their time to get out the vote and promote election integrity.

    Performers on the docket include: Justin Vivian Bond, Nels Cline, Brian Collazo, Abena Koomson-Davis, Jack DeJohnette, Gail Ann Dorsey, Energy Dance Co, Cheme Gastelum, Corey Glover, Amy Helm, Dave Holland, Norah Jones, Steve Jordan, Emily King, Joakim Lartey, Sean Lennon, Dan Littleton, Storey Littleton, John Medeski, Natalie Merchant, Jeremy Most, Meshell Ndegeocello, Ben Perowsky, Kate Pierson, Casey Ramos, Jackson Speller, Simi Stone, and Rock Academy.

    Special Guests include: Fred Armisen, Moraya Seeger DeGeare, Reggie Earls, Juan Figueroa, Brita Filter, Tim Guinee, Cally Mansfield, Rebecca Martin, Mary Stuart Masterson, Melissa Auf der Maur, Maitreya Motel, Thomas Sadoski, Amanda Seyfried, Bobby Tisdale, and Uma Thurman. 

    Candidates making an appearance include Antonio Delgado, Michelle Hinchey, Jen Metzger, and Karen Smythe. The event was originally going to take place at the landmark Opus 40, but inclement fall weather shifted plans and Hutton Brickyards generously donated its space in which to film the socially distanced concert reel, which will be shown virtually, interspersed with satellite performances and speakers. Earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the original Hudson Valley Votes canceled it’s plans for its live event, which had been originally scheduled for October 17 th at Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) in Kingston, donating remaining funds to FAMILY of Woodstock. 

    The event will be airing on Saturday, October 17 th at 8PM, via HVV’s YouTube channel and social media, as well as via Radio Kingston, Radio Woodstock and others. This is the third annual concert-rally that features incredible local and international talent.

    For more information on the event visit Hudson Valley Votes’ website.

  • Aqueous Takes on The Silver Lake Twin Drive-In Again

    Aqueous announces their plans to perform at the Silver Lake Twin Drive-In. The drive-in is located in Perry, NY on October 24, 2020. 

    Aqueous Silver Lake Twin Drive-In

    This will be Silver Lake Twin Drive-In third time to host Aqueous. The drive-In also hosted two nights of live Aqueous fun, from the safety of viewers cars, back in August. This socially distanced concert experience is becoming a normality across the United States due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The Silver Lake Twin Drive-In is located at 7037 Chapman Ave in Perry, NY. The Silver Lake Twin Drive-In produces weekend film features on two outdoor screens with a casual restaurant, mini-golf & more on-site.

    The gates for the show will open at 5pm at the Silver Lake Twin Drive-In and Aqueous will be live in front of screen one  at the drive-in from 6PM – 9PM. Tickets are going on sale at 10AM on October 9, 2020. The general admission for the show will be $125 for a four-person carload. The VIP tickets for the show will be $175 for a four-person carload. The VIP tickets include admission to show, parking spot in the first two rows, limited edition poster. Individual add-ons for cars over four people will be $40 per person for general admission and $60 per person for VIP ticket holders. 

    All the parking at the event will be designated by Drive-In Security. Management has final authority over where viewers may park. VIP parking will be in the first 2 rows of the Drive-In while general admission vehicle parking will be on a first-come-first-park basis behind the first 2 rows. To help with the obstruction of guests’ view, vans, trucks, and SUVs will be asked to park on one side of the snack bar or in the last three rows of the theater. To comply with social distancing guidelines, all vehicles must park at least 6 feet away from neighboring vehicles. Once parked, do not move your vehicle. If you choose to leave in your vehicle, you will not be permitted to re-enter the drive-in.

    People will be allowed to sit  outside their vehicles or in the back of a pickup truck as long as the patrons remain a minimum of 6 feet away from other guests. Face masks are not required unless you are in a public area within 6 feet of other guests. All guests must remain inside or near their vehicles at all times except for bathroom trips, to visit the snack bar or Charcoal Corral restaurant, walking your dog, or walking to a designated smoking area. All guests must wear face masks whenever they are in a public area within 6 feet of other guests until further notice.

    For more information on Aqueous and their upcoming shows visit their website.

  • “The Afterparty” Weekly Concert Series Announced to Follow Trey Anastasio’s “Beacon Jams”

    “The Afterparty” was announced as a weekly streaming concert series to follow Trey Anastasio’s “The Beacon Jams” concert series. It will take place on James Casey’s live-stream platform, Aux Chord, and will run every Friday between October 9 and November 27 after Trey’s show.

    James Casey is the founder of Aux Chord, and a longtime member of the Trey Anastasio Band. Aux Chord is a live virtual music venue created by artists in support of bringing together the music community at large. 100% of the profits directly benefit the artists performing on each show. Because of this, 100% of the proceeds from “The Afterparty” concert series will benefit the performers from that night’s concert. Trey Anastasio Band Member & Aux Chord Founder James Casey are hosting the concert series and plan for it to take place across multiple stages. “The Afterparty” series will feature 2 hours of staggered live performances with a host DJ and multiple virtual stages that viewers can pop into throughout the night. 

    The first episode of “The Afterparty” will kick off on Friday, October 9 shortly after 10PM EST after the weekly “The Beacon Jams” airs at 8PM EST via Twitch. The first night will host DJ Raydar Starts Spinning at 10:15, James Casey at 10:30, and Louis Cato at 10:45. Tickets are on sale now here and tickets are only $10 for the first show. 

    There will also be an added feature on Aux Chord that will give the audience weekly interactive experience featuring “Fancam,” which allows viewers to watch alongside one another, dance together and truly interact with the performance.

    For more information on the “The Afterparty” concert series and on the lineups for the future performances, visit Aux Chord’s website.

  • Live at the Drive In to Host Dirty Heads, Almost Queen, and Disco Biscuits

    Live at the Drive-In announced performances by Dirty Heads, Almost Queen, and the Disco Biscuits at the Lafayette Apple Festival Grounds. The shows will take place throughout October with Dirty Heads on the 24 and Disco Biscuits on the 29, 30, and 31. The shows will follow social distancing guidelines made by the State of NY while providing some much needed live music. 

    The Lafayette Apple Festival Grounds usually hosts the LaFayette Apple Festival but due to COVID-19 the festival unforchinitly had to be cancelled this year. They are making room for five nights of musical fun. Doors open at 5PM for all the shows and they actually start at 7PM. Tickets are on sale already for the Dirty heads and Disco Biscuit shows and can be purchased here.  

    Live at the Drive-In

    The Dirty Heads are a mix of hip-hop, reggae, and rock. They are a California bred and raised group with a similar sound to Sublime. They formed back in 2003 and their members throughout the years include Jared Watson, Dustin Bushnell, Matt Ochoa, David Foral, Jon Olazabal, Shawn Hagood, and Josh Freese. They have seven studio albums and have hit the Billboard Top 200 multiple times. 

    Live at the Drive-In

    The Disco Biscuits are a well known and loved jam band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is made up of band members Allen Aucoin, Marc “Brownie” Brownstein, Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig, and Aron Magner and formed in 1995. The band is known for incorporating elements from a bunch of different musical genres. Their sound has a base of electronic and rock and has been described as trance fusion in the past. 

    For more information of the Live at the Drive-In performances visit Lafayette Apple Festival Grounds website and Creative Concerts.