NYS Music 202​0

Author: Pete Mason

  • Touchdowns All Day with Jon Barber welcomes Allen Aucoin for two-part episode

    On the latest installment of Touchdowns All Day with Jon Barber, the guitartist for the Disco Biscuits sits down with bandmate Allen Aucoin. The drummer and Barber have an incredibly candid conversation that goes deep into Allen’s Cajun family life and growing up around the military with his father in the Special Forces.

    Tune in to hear about his family’s crawfish boils in Germany, his healthy lifestyle, meditation and rudimentary drumming practices, influences, and more in this TDAD exclusive interview.

    As Biscuits fans are aware, these two episodes (let alone one) have more Allen vocal mic input than the last 14 years of Disco Biscuits shows combined.

    jon barber allen aucoin

    A sample exchange between the two bandmates includes:

    Jon Barber: “The fans sent in a bunch of questions & they are all kind of scratching at the surface of: Are you a superhero?” And, it ends up you kinda are, in a weird way.”

    Allen Aucoin: “Yeah, I had a keyboard player named Dr. Dan that I used to play with. He called me The Special Forces of Drums.”

    Tune into TDAD through the podcast website, Apple or tune in to Spotify below.  

  • Listen to Spaghetti Eastern Music’s latest, the ambient “Peace Within”

    Spaghetti Eastern Music, a genre-leaping solo project from NYC and Woodstock guitarist/keyboardist Sal Cataldi has released his latest single “Peace Within.” An ambient piece that slowly unfolds in a series of waves, this aural meditation gives the listener an instrumental chapter of chill with an apt tonic for these troubled times.

    Using an echoey piano, vibraphone and phased strings, ones that could be a lost track from Eno’s “Another Green World,” Cataldi provides a soothing musical bedrock. This is complemented with sustained drones from a duo of Ebow guitars, drenched in reverb, setting the stage for the lead guitar which propels the searching melody of the piece. The calming and cavernous ambience created is periodically shocked and heightened with heavily processed, thunderous percussive accents.

    Cataldi’s cheekily titled debut album, Sketches of Spam, and his January 2020 single, “Her Lemon Peel Raincoat (Because It’s Raining),” have drawn notice from critics at a multitude of prestige outlets like The New York Times, Time Out NY, Jazz Times and The Huffington Post.

    The single is available for download and streaming via Bandcamp, CD Baby, iTunes, Spotify. The track was recorded by Cataldi during the Covid19 crisis at the studio aboard his houseboat in Port Washington, Long Island, Houseboat Garlic Knot Studios, and at his Sonic Garden in West Saugerties, right down the road from Big Pink. The track was mixed and mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Bob Stander at Parcheesi Studios.

  • Tanglewood cancels 2020 season; announce Online Festival

    The Berkshires will be a little quieter this summer, as the Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced they will not hold live performances and educational programs at Tanglewood this summer. The 2020 Tanglewood season was set to kick off on June 19 and run through August 27.

    In an effort to keep the spirit of the storied music season alive, Tanglewood will be offering a wide range of newly created and retrospective content with the Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival.

    The festival will include both free-of-charge archival offerings as well as newly created content available for purchase. Video and audio streams begin on Tanglewood.org July 1, with the ability to purchase starting on June 15. The groundbreaking digital series of audio and video streams includes newly created content to be recorded at Tanglewood’s Linde Center in June and July.

    Ticket holders to Tanglewood performances this summer who donate more than $100 worth of tickets to the BSO will receive complimentary access to the complete selection of paid and archival Tanglewood digital content and a tax receipt for the total ticket value contributed. Donations made by August 31 will also be matched by a group of generous donors who have joined together to help support musical artists and programs in these unprecedented times, amplifying your impact.

    Tickets for this year’s performances will be honored for the postponed date next year. Reschedule dates include:

    • Ringo Star (6/19/20), rescheduled for Saturday, June 19, 2021
    • Trey Anastasio with the Boston Pops and Keith Lockhart (6/20/20), rescheduled for Friday, June 18, 2021
    • Judy Collins and Arlo Guthrie (6/21/20), rescheduled for Sunday, June 20, 2021
    • Brandi Carlile (6/26/20), 2021 date TBA
    • Patti Labelle and Darlene Love (6/27/20), 2021 date TBA
    • The Mavericks with Los Lobos (6/28/20), 2021 date TBA
    • James Taylor (7/4/20), rescheduled for his annual July 4th performance during the 2021 season
    • Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! with Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis (8/27/20), rescheduled for Thursday, August 26, 2021
    • John Legend with special guests The War and Treaty (8/28/20), 2021 date TBA

    An overview of Tanglewood’s 2020 Online Festival programming can be found here.

    tanglewood 2020

  • Watch The Empire State Building with lights synced to Billy Joel’s “Miami 2017”

    The Empire State Building synced its lights to Billy Joel’s “Miami 2017” for a unique music-to-light show that served as the surprise finale to Robin Hood and iHeartRadio’s “Rise Up New York” virtual telethon on Friday, May 15, hosted by Tina Fey.

  • moe.ron Mondays to begin streaming on Nugs TV next week

    Beginning Monday, May 18, Nugs TV will kick off the free weekly series moe.ron Mondays. The first edition features moe.’s performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO on July 12, 2018. Two sets of seamless jamming are in store, including an encore featuring members of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong.

    Fans are asked to consider donating to the moe. organization via 2nu.gs/moeTouring and MusiCares Relief Fund via 2nu.gs/moeMusicCares.

    Setlist via Phantasytour

    Set 1: Seat Of My Pants> Who You Calling Scared> Captain America> Buster> Pastorus*> Silver Sun> Akimbo> ATL> Puebla
    Set 2: Plane Crash> Buster> Four> Skrunk> Prestige Worldwide> Silver Sun> Plane Crash> Letter Home> Wind it up
    Encore: Fame^
    *official title of segue/jam debuted at Summer Camp 5/26/18
    ^w/ Greg Ormont & Jeremy Schon on guitar / vox from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

    mondays nugs tv
    Official Show Poster by Emek

  • Watch Freekbass and more entries into #NewYorkTough PSA contest

    #NewYorkTough, a campaign to encourage New Yorkers to wear masks whenever out in public, is soon to have a Public Service Announcement campaign of its own. Governor Cuomo called for submissions and with the entries closing on Friday, May 15, we have some of the early entries to consider before voting begins on a finalist in the weeks ahead.

    Freekbass and the Bump Assembly put together a PSA video despite being spread out around the Northeast. As your friendly neighborhood Freekbass describes it, bandmate Sammi Garett (Turkuaz) reached out to him to work on a track for the contest.

    Sammi gave me a call and said she heard about this PSA contest that Governor Cuomo was having about encouraging New Yorkers to wear a mask. Sky (our keyboardist) and I had a track we worked on in the studio that seemed like a good fit. I sent the track to Sammi and she laid down her vocals and sent it back to me so I could mix it. Then we all filmed the video at each of our own places and Angie Wilson directed and put the video together along with the song. 

    This is a very strange time we are all living in, and as musicians not being able to tour is tough. So being creative in new and positive ways is always a shining light through these crazy days we are going through. We all feel very strongly as a band that being safe in anyway possible is so important, so the message of the song and video came naturally. We hope everyone enjoys the song and video.

    With the contest closing on Friday, May 15, here are a selection of other musically inclined PSAs from across the state. Stay tuned for the five finalists and vote for your favorite!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSzG-rk5kcU
    https://twitter.com/samfriedman17/status/1260699312469803010

  • Prince and the Revolution stream 1985 Carrier Dome show, raise funds for WHO

    Prince’s estate, sitting on a trove of unreleased Paisley Park studio recordings as well as video footage, will stream the March 30, 1985 ‘Purple Rain’ show from Syracuse at The Carrier Dome which will be livestreamed on Prince’s YouTube channel from Thursday, May 14 until Sunday, May 17.

    The album from the show will be available for purchase digitally for the first time on Friday. Donations will benefit the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and Google will match donations up to $5 million.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRa8ZH_iOXo

    “Hello Syracuse and the World,” Prince says to open the show. “My name is Prince, and I’m here to play with you.”

    A Thursday pre-party kicks off at 6pm with Prince & the Revolution drummer Bobby Z with a live Q&A with the Current’s Andrea Swensson.

    The Carrier Dome concert also aired live to more than 12 million viewers in Europe through Eurovision and became a hot bootleg shortly after.

    Setlist: Let’s Go Crazy, Delirious, 1999, Little Red Corvette, Take Me With U, Do Me, Baby, Irresistible Bitch, Possessed, How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?, Let’s Pretend We’re Married, International Lover, God, Computer Blue, Darling Nikki, The Beautiful Ones, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U, Baby I’m A Star, Purple Rain

  • Latest Shakedown Stream features 1991 Grateful Dead show at Giants Stadium

    As announced by Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux, this week’s Shakedown Stream will feature the June 17, 1991 show from Giants Stadium. You can tune in on Friday night starting at 8pm ET on the Grateful Dead’s YouTube channel.

    1991 grateful dead giants stadium

    On that night Little Feat opened the show and “Dark Star” was teased a few times and jammed out of “Drums,” a first since 1974. Read an in depth review of the 1991 Grateful Dead show at Giants Stadium here.

    Setlist: Eyes Of The World, Walkin’ Blues, Brown Eyed Women, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Loose Lucy, Cassidy, Might As Well Saint Of Circumstance-> Ship of Fools-> Truckin’-> New Speedway Boogie-> Uncle John’s Band-> Drums-> Jam-> China Doll-> Playin’ In The Band Reprise-> Sugar Magnolia

    Encore: The Weight

    Additionally, the Dead’s series “All The Years Live” has released footage of the show opener from June 14, 1991, at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in D.C., “Cold Rain and Snow.” Lemieux has been sharing videos from previous releases will be shared, with unreleased videos coming soon as well.

  • Broadway shows will not return until Labor Day at the earliest

    When New York hit PAUSE, that included all live performances on Broadway. Initially planned to shut down until April 12, then until June 7, the goalposts have shifted to Labor Day, September 6 as the earliest Broadway doors will reopen. However, an official return date has not yet been announced.

    “While all Broadway shows would love to resume performances as soon as possible, we need to ensure the health and well-being of everyone who comes to the theatre—behind the curtain and in front of it—before shows can return,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League. “Throughout this challenging time, we have been in close communication with Governor Cuomo’s office and are grateful for his support and leadership as we work together to bring back this vital part of New York City’s economy—and spirit.”

    Last year, Broadway attracted a record 15 million people. Producers and labor unions are discussing ways theaters can reopen safely.

    Actors’ Equity Association, which represents 51,000 actors and stage managers, called the postponment “difficult but necessary.”

    “Before our members can safely return to work, we will need new protocols that protect audiences and workers alike,” said Mary McColl, executive director of the association.

    broadway labor day

    Hours after the latest postponement came word that producers of the upcoming revival of Neil Simon’s “Plaza Suite” have pushed the production to next year. Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker will now star in the revival starting in March 2021.

    Other shows scheduled to open this spring have abandoned their plans, including “Hangmen” and a revival of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

    Additionally, the postponed Tony Awards, initially planned for June 7, have not yet been rescheduled.

  • Trey Anastasio postpones Tanglewood show to 2021

    Trey Anastasio postpones his upcoming concert with the Boston Pops at Tanglewood. While originally scheduled for June 20, 2020, the first ever performance for Trey with the Boston Pops will move to 2021 on Friday, June 18. Ticket holders will be able to use current tickets for next year’s event.