NYS Music 202​0

Author: Pete Mason

  • Take a first look at ‘Beastie Boys Story’ documentary from Spike Jonze

    The recently announced Beastie Boys Story documentary from director Spike Jonze has released its first official sneak peak, via AppleTV+. With a focus on the live shows Mike D. and AdRock did while promoting the Beastie Boys Book, the film airs in IMAX theaters before being streamed on AppleTV+ worldwide. 

    Beastie Boys Story, based on the 2019 two-man show of the same name, which was also directed by Jonze, was a limited-engagement event with saw surviving Beastie Boys members Ad-Rock and Michael “Mike D” Diamond discussing the history of the legendary Brooklyn group.

    The documentary premieres on April 3rd in IMAX, which is also the 26th anniversary of Beastie Boys’ 1994 album, Ill Communication, before moving exclusively to Apple TV+ on April 24th. The relationship with the band and director go back to the “Sabotage” music video, as well as an unreleased film We Can Do This based on MCA’s alter-ego, Nathanial Hornblower. 

    Ad-Rock and Mike D spoke of Jonze in a statement, saying, “There are some friends you have lunch with so many times over the years, you know their order. Spike is one of those friends. And even when you don’t recognize anything on the menu, he comes up with something good for the whole table. Like when we wondered what to do when our book comes out… then Spike placed his order: You will put on a show for the children.”

    “I owe Beastie Boys a lot,” Jonze returned. “One time, they pulled me out of a burning ship, and another time they helped me cheat on my college exam to get into Florida State. So, it was a real privilege to get to reunite with them and help them tell their story.”

  • Capitol Theatre to host All-Star show “The Thrill Is Gone: A Tribute To B.B. King”

    The Capitol Theatre has announced a partnership with the B.B. King Estate, leading to two incredible nights of music that will celebrate the music of legendary blues guitarist B.B. King. The Thrill Is Gone: A Tribute To B.B. King will feature some of music’s greatest blues and rock legends, celebrating the King of Blues.

    King Blues the thrill is gone

    The Thrill Is Gone: A Tribute To B.B. King will feature two nights of music with performances by Anthony Hamilton, Bob Margolin, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, David Hidalgo, Derek Trucks, Ivan Neville, Jamey Johnson, Jimmie Vaughan, John Scofield, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Little Steven, Robert Cray, Robert Randolph, Shemekia Copeland, Southside Johnny, Steve Cropper, Susan Tedeschi, Tony TC Coleman, Warren Haynes, and William Bell. The lineups for each day will vary, and even more special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Grammy® Award-winning producer and legendary drummer, Steve Jordan, will serve as musical director.

    A portion of proceeds from The Thrill Is Gone: A Tribute To B.B. King will benefit the Seva Foundation, a global nonprofit eye care organization that transforms lives and strengthens communities by restoring sight and preventing blindness. The SEVA Foundation was co-founded by Wavy Gravy, a close friend of B.B. King for over 40 years and whose moniker was given to him by King at the Texas International Pop Festival in 1969.

  • Video Premiere: Julia Felice and the Whiskey Crisis drop dance-funk cover of “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” 

    Fresh off their serial project, Rule of Three, Ithaca’s Julia Felice and the Whiskey Crisis have released the video for their indie dance-funk cover of The Smashing Pumpkins’ 90s classic “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.” 

    The upcoming Rule of Three is a collaborative music and art project, with mini-releases featuring two new songs, including a twisted cover, and a brand new original, that are accompanied by a unique piece of artwork by an independent artist inspired by the music. The original featured in this initial drop is the indie rock original “The Arms Dealer,” which alongside “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” deals with the dark underpinnings of things that seem, at first glance, very attractive. 

    The band will celebrate the release with a show downtown at The Range on Friday, January 24, with doors at 9pm and the show at 10, with a $5 cover.


    The Whiskey Crisis grew out of what was supposed to be a one-time passion project. After dropping their alternative soul debut, Diving for Falls, co-conspirators Julia Felice and Harry Nichols were spurred on to continue working together with bassist, Sam Lupowitz, and guitarist, Joe Massa. Their second album, Devil On Your Back, takes all the catchy darkness of the first album, and transports it to places not altogether expected, alongside drummer Julian Dalton. Throughout 2020, Whiskey Crisis will feature a series of mini-releases, each showcasing their latest originals, re-imagined covers, and a collaborative piece of visual art as part of Rule of Three. All tracks were recorded and mixed by Christopher Ploss at Sunwood Recording, Trumansburg, NY and mastered by Matt Saccuccimorano for Scaramanga Industries, Ithaca NY.

  • NYC Concert to Commemorate 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz

    The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center, the UJA-Federation of New York, and The New York Board of Rabbis will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with a concert  celebrating the resilience of Jewish music and culture on Monday, January 27, 2020.

    Liberation of Auschwitz

    The concert, organized by the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, will feature renowned violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman; The Klezmer Conservatory Band; klezmer icons Hankus Netsky, Andy Statman, Frank London, and Lorin Sklamberg; Tovah Feldshuh; Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot; Director Joel Grey and the cast and orchestra of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, with musical director Zalmen Mlotek; and HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir, with musical director Matthew Lazar. Additionally, the concert will feature a keynote address by Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Executive Vice President of The New York Board of Rabbis.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZoGz0EWPY0

    On January 27, 1945, Allied troops entered the Auschwitz concentration camp complex, liberating the more than 7,000 prisoners. More than 1.1 million people had already died in Auschwitz – nearly one million of whom were Jews.

    The concert will commemorate that anniversary – which is International Holocaust Remembrance Day – and underscore the commitment of the Jewish community to never forget and to continue the struggle against antisemitism and all forms of racial and ethnic hatred.

    “The liberation of Auschwitz on January 27 represents the end of one the darkest chapters in our world’s history and a reckoning for humanity,” said Bruce Ratner, Chairman of the Board at the Museum of Jewish Heritage –A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. “On this day we commemorate the Holocaust—a genocide in which 6 million Jews were murdered and millions of other victims of Nazism. Their memories must never be forgotten. This event will celebrate spiritual resistance and heroism in the face of evil, and serve as a unifying moment to insist, ‘never again.’ As we reflect on the past, we must do everything within our power to ensure a future in which we resist all forms of antisemitism, hostility, and bigotry to prevent a recurrence of the horrors of the Holocaust. We must not allow history to repeat itself.”

    The concert will take place at 7:00 PM at Temple Emanu-El, 1 East 65th Street (entrance on Fifth Avenue between East 65th and 66th Streets) in New York CIty. General admission tickets are $54, and reserved seating is $180. Due to limited seating, tickets will be provided on a first come, first served basis. Tickets and additional information can be found here..

    Produced by Moishe Rosenfeld, founder of Golden Land Concerts, the concert features Bonnie Stein of GOH Productions as production manager, and Zalmen Mlotek as artistic director.

  • Brooklyn’s Antibalas release “Amenawon” off upcoming Daptone Records’ ‘Fu Chronicles’

    Antibalas will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with a return to their Williamsburg roots on their latest Daptone Records studio album, Fu Chronicles, due out on February 7, 2020. Today, Antibalas releases the single “Amenawon.”

    A pre-gentrified Williamsburg serves as the backdrop for Fu Chronicles, a voyage back to the early days of when Antibalas and revered soul label, Daptone Records, were spawned out of lead singer Duke Amayo’s kung fu dojo. A senior master of the Jow Ga Kung Fu School of martial arts, Duke Amayo along with Antibalas’ founder/baritone saxophonist, Martín Perna, guide listeners through an epic journey where kung fu ingeniously intersects with Afrobeat on Fu Chronicles.

    WNWNYC’s New Sounds exclusively premiered Antibalas’ latest from The opening track and first single off Fu Chronicles, “Amenawon,” Tuesday. It honors Amayo’s late mother, whose middle name was Amenawon. She is also depicted on the cover of Fu Chronicles standing as tall as the Statue Of Liberty, carrying a baby.

    With the literal meaning translating to “may the water you will drink, not pass you by,” the composition speaks to rain water washing away pollution and the unveiling of government lies. Amayo pays homage to the Yoruba River goddess, Yomoja, whose healing powers can be accessed by invoking her name. Water is further a symbol in kung fu reflecting one’s ability to adapt to any situation.

    At age 12 in Lagos, Nigeria, Amayo began his kung fu practice while simultaneously witnessing the spiritual leader Fela Kuti perform at his famous nightclubs the Afro-Spot and Afrika Shrine in Lagos. Living in the same neighborhood of the Afro-Spot and sneaking into the clubs to experience the force of nature that was Fela Kuti, a young Amayo was enlightened on his path destined for greatness in America.

    Attracted to the cosmopolitan lifestyle of fashion, dance, martial arts, and music, Amayo moved beyond the highlights of his football career to launch a singular clothing brand and open a kung fu dojo in Williamsburg, dubbed the Afro-Spot Temple. Upon opening the dojo, Daptone co-founder Gabe Roth and Martín Perna inquired about classes, and soon invited Amayo to join Antibalas. The dojo became the headquarters for the band and label with Antibalas’ classic sophomore album, Talkatif (2002), being recorded onsite at the dojo’s recording studio. Coming full circle, Fu Chronicles sees Gabe Roth in the producer’s chair with Antibalas laying down the tracks at Daptone’s House of Soul in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

    Amenawon antibalas

    Fu Chronicles transports listeners to where universal equilibrium and indefinite possibilities unite within a dream world of a child’s limitless mind. The transcendent long-form Afrobeat compositions decolonize our psyches through movements traversing with melodies to realign us with a purpose of finding balance in our coexistence. The fiery Antibalas ensemble — widely renowned as one of America’s fiercest live bands — along with an additional five musicians transform Amayo’s opus into hypnotic and invigorating compositions with singular rhythms of resistance.

    Pre-order the album HERE.

    Over the course of its lauded 20-year career, Antibalas has toured across four continents and produced eight studio albums, establishing them as the premier Afrobeat band in the West. In addition to their integral role as the backing band for the Tony Award-Winning Broadway musical “Fela,” Antibalas has served as the house band for several star-studded tribute shows at Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater paying tribute to the music of Aretha Franklin, David Byrne, Paul Simon, and Billie Holiday.

    ANTIBALAS – WINTER & SPRING 2020 TOUR DATES

    Tuesday, February 11 — The Siren — San Luis Obispo, CA

    Wednesday, February 12 — Moe’s Alley — Santa Cruz, CA

    Thursday, February 13 — The Regent — Los Angeles, CA

    Friday, February 14 — The Independent — San Francisco, CA

    Saturday, February 15 — The New Parish — Oakland, CA

    Sunday, February 16 — The Independent — San Francisco, CA

    Thursday, February 20 — Neptune Theatre — Seattle, WA

    Friday, February 21 — Rickshaw Theater — Vancouver, BC

    Saturday, February 22 — PDX Jazz — Portland, OR

    Sunday, February 23 — The Olympic — Boise, ID

    Wednesday, February 26 — Knotty Pine — Victor ID

    Thursday, February 27 — The Commonwealth Room — Salt Lake City, UT

    Friday, February 28 — Washington’s — Fort Collins, CO

    Thursday, March 19 — The Sinclair — Boston, MA

    Friday, March 20 — Brooklyn Bowl — Brooklyn, NY

    Saturday, March 21 — Brooklyn Bowl — Brooklyn, NY

    Thursday, March 26 — Terminal West — Atlanta, GA

    Friday, March 27 — The Grey Eagle — Asheville, NC

    Saturday, March 28 — Cat’s Cradle — Carrboro, NC

    Friday, April 3 — Sleeping Village — Chicago, IL

    Saturday, April 4 — SPACE — Evanston, IL

    Friday, April 10 — Lee’s Palace — Toronto, ON

    Saturday, April 11 — Lee’s Palace — Toronto, ON

    Friday, April 17 — Theatre of The Living Arts — Philadelphia, PA

  • Brooklyn Podcast Festival invades NYC Next Week Jan. 22-26.

    The third ever Brooklyn Podcast Festival, produced by City Farm Presents, will be held next week, January 22-26, 2020 in Brooklyn. Featuring more than 15 podcasts over five days, the festival will be hosted between three venues – The Bell House, Union Hall, and BRIC House.

    Brooklyn Podcast Festival

    The 2020 Brooklyn Podcast Festival features established, as well as up-and-coming shows, including: An Evening With Osiris, Featuring Goose with hosts Phish songwriter, Tom Marshall and RJ Bee; The Bowery Boys hosted by Thomas Meyers and Gregory Young; The Bechdel Cast with Jamie Loftus & Caitlin Durante; Secret Keepers Club hosted by Girl Code’s Carly Aquilino and Netflix’s Emma Willmann; as well as NPR’s Ask Me Another with hosts Ophira Eisenberg and “in-house musician” Jonathan Coulton with their special guest, HBO’s Ben Sinclair. 

    Visit City Farm Presents for tickets and more info.

  • Coheed and Cambria Announce Inaugural Cruise ‘The S.S. Neverender’

    Progressive rock icons Coheed and Cambria have announced a new partnership with Sixthman to create an immersive cruise and festival at sea, bringing their audience closer than ever before in their 19-year history. Setting sail on the S.S. Neverender October 26-30, the band plans to perform early songs and deep cuts that are rarely heard. Additionally, they’ll bring their sci-fi concept, The Amory Wars, to life in several onboard installations.

    Coheed and Cambria cruise

    The band will also interact with fans in Q&A sessions and other scenarios. Joining the Coheed on this voyage is Taking Back Sunday, The Dear Hunter, Polyphia, Culture Abuse and others. More artists and activities will be added in the near future. The S.S. Neverender sets sail aboard the Norwegian Pearl on October 26-30, 2020 from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas.

    “We’re always trying to find ways to improve the fan experience. Our fans like to travel, they like to meet other fans, we’re like a big family.  So the idea of a cruise seemed like a way to allow a bunch of us to just go on vacation together,” explains Coheed founding member Travis Stever.

    Fans are encouraged to join the cruise pre-sale for early access. Fans who bought the band’s most recent box set, The Unheavenly Creatures, will be given priority. Low deposits of $150 and flexible payment-plans that feature zero interest rates are available.